Experiments
by ms17thst
Summary: Genius Warehouse Agent plus boredom equals trouble. Will her friends survive her homemade experiments? Gloria Brown, RN OC And HG's nemesis is back OC . The psycho you love to hate. And who on the WH 'inside' is helping her? Can Myka save HG a third time before someone is killed?
1. HG Has a Blast or Two

**Chapter 1 HG Has a Blast …or Two**

"I am among those who think that science has great beauty. A scientist in his laboratory is not only a technician: he is also a child placed before natural phenomena which impress him like a fairy tale." Marie Curie

* * *

It was a quiet Saturday morning when it happened. Some of the agents were taking advantage of the day off to sleep late. Artie was enjoying having the dining room to himself as he sipped his hot coffee and relished having the whole paper to himself. And Leena was enjoying having the kitchen to herself with no one under foot. Pete was unconscious having stayed up all night after a movie marathon with Claudia. She was sleeping soundly, too in spite of the fact that Pete insisted on a three AM Quesada snacks and put in anything he could get his hands on. Claudia wasn't quite sure the last time she had tasted so many different things in one bite. And Myka was holding onto her pillow as she dreamed peacefully. She raised her head and placed it on the cool pillow expecting to feel HG's body next to her. No one was expecting the sonic boom that literally shook the house and sent them grabbing for guns and running in all directions yelling and screaming. The agents flew down the stairs just as Leena and Artie ran into the hallway. They looked at each other for answers but everyone drew a blank stare. Artie counted his agents.

"Where is HG?" he asked.

"God only knows where HG is," Myka said looking around.

Then the door to the basement opened and Helena stood there with blackened face, hair blown out of place but smiling. It was the day she rediscovered the joy of chemistry experiments and the last time she was allowed to conduct them in the house.

"OK, who gave her the chemistry set?" Artie asked as they assembled in the living room. HG looked at him quizzically wondering why he didn't think to ask her directly. That would have cost him time. He wanted to get right to the source and wring their necks. Finally the guilty party spoke up.

"Well, Artie," Leena started, " when you told her she wasn't allowed to take any more machines apart, I thought maybe a little chemistry kit…."

"I really need to get back downstairs," HG interrupted but Artie ignored her and pointed at her to stay.

"A little chemistry kit?" Artie said restraining himself because he was not used to yelling at Leena. "In _those _hands?" he said pointing to Helena who still had the residue of the explosion on her hands and cheeks.

"Artie, I was merely attempting…" HG started but Artie would have no part of it. "…to blow the house up with us in it?" The sarcastic remark drew her glare but he was not frightened by it anymore. Most of the time.

"Agent Wells, I know you were just playing around…," he said and Myka bit her lip and uttered '_oh oh'_ because she understood exactly how her brilliant friend was about to interpret that remark.

"_Playing around_?" she asked stretching the words with her full blown accent. "_Playing around_?" she asked a second time because she could not believe the remark. "Did they accuse Einstein of _playing around_ at the Institute of Advanced Study? Did they accuse Madam Curie of _fooling around_?" HG ranted.

"I thought Einstein worked at Princeton?" Pete asked sidetracked and hungry.

"No, he lectured there. But he worked at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton," Myka informed him.

"Oooh," Pete said wondering how long breakfast would take.

"If you would just excuse me a minute," Helena started again because time was of the essence but Artie was blocking her way.

"What were you doing if not playing around, Agent Wells?" Artie asked her directly. The obvious question caught her off guard. Just because she was ready to defend her work didn't mean she was anxious to reveal it.

"Pardon?" HG asked and Myka immediately became suspicious. Helena had perfect hearing. '_Pardon_' meant she was stalling. Artie also knew this.

"What-were-you-doing-before- you-blew-up-the-basement?" he asked slowly.

"I was simply mixing sucrose and potssm clo-ate and sulf cid," HG mumbled looking away and not doing a very good job of it.

It had been some time since Artie had taken chemistry but he did get an A in the course. He was almost certain that the elements had not changed any in spite of the years.

"Agent Wells, I know you might think I've forgotten all of my chemistry and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that combination of chemicals …hmmm…what was the scientific term for it?" Artie said setting up his punch line. "Ah yes, - EXPLOSIVE?"

"Artie, don't be ridiculous," HG said laughing nervously now and not because of his expression but Myka's. It didn't happen often but getting into trouble with Myka was not something HG enjoyed at all.

Myka was trying to think about the chemistry kit she had as a kid. It was what sparked her dreams of finding cures for all the worlds' diseases and made her go premed in college. Then she took organic chemistry and suddenly law became very attractive. "Wait, I had one of those kits when I was a kid. The amount of chemicals they give you is very small and I don't think potassium chlorate nor sulfuric acid is among them," Myka said because she read the manual – once.

"I got the one for grades 4 – 12," Leena said still defending her choice.

"Where exactly did you get the chemicals you used?" Artie asked turning back to HG and his question made her refocus. She had to get back down to the basement.

"Oh…ummm…. here and…. there. Now if you would Artie, I….ah…. really must get back to the …eh …," HG said trying to sound calm. Myka was becoming very suspicious of HG's behavior. Avoiding Artie's question was normal but the stammering was very unlike her.

"What the frack is that smell?" Claudia asked when the odor became noxious.

"I really hope that isn't breakfast. I mean, I'll eat it but I really hope it isn't breakfast," Pete said.

Helena was the only one there that knew as her friends were interrogating her, her next experiment was about to commence. She had not planned on the first minor explosion and therefore, never expected to be interrupted from carrying out the second. If she didn't get back down and prevent the next set of chemicals from mixing, there would be a bigger problem. She knew any minute now the timer she rigged up would go off and the beaker of sulfuric acid mixture would start to pour into the second beaker filled with hydrogen peroxide. A second explosion was inevitable. But this wasn't even her biggest concern. It was the hydrogen sulfide that was the issue right now. The fact that Claudia could smell something meant the beaker with that chemical that smelled like rotten eggs was too close to the other beakers. Things were literally heating up down there.

"Artie, I will be more than happy to answer all your questions if you will please just get everyone outside to safety," HG attempted to say in a low voice.

"WHAT?" Artie screamed in response.

"NOW!" HG said because it was only a matter of seconds …

They made it to the porch safely before the door to the basement blew off its hinges and into the hallway where seconds before they were passing through to get outside. The force of the blast pushed an air current at their backs that knocked them over but everyone was unharmed. The fire engines were there within minutes and contained the fire that erupted on the workbench with extinguishers. They dressed in their hazmat suits because they were told it was a chemical fire. Relieved that it was put out quickly, they returned to the occupants who were standing away from the house. They did have some questions about the toxic material that was being used and the two explosions. Initially, they feared a terrorist cell but Artie assured them it was simply the work of one very bored IRS agent with too much time on her hands. He promised them he would remedy that immediately if not sooner.

"You might want to start her out with something like this next time," the Fire Chief said to Artie handing him the slightly singed Chemistry Kit for Grades 4 – 12 box ….unopened. "But only if she's supervised!"

It was easy for the fireman to pick out the guilty party. HG still had soot on her face from the first mishap. "Would you please make sure she does not get herself arrested for arson?" Artie said to Myka through clenched teeth bathed in a fake smile.

The fire chief approached HG as did Myka. Helena wasn't sure which one of those people worried her more. She might be able to charm the fireman but she was certain it would take a bit more to calm Myka down.

"Where the hell did you get that stuff?" Myka asked and the chief raised his eyebrows in surprise that his question came out of someone else's mouth.

"Myka, why don't we let this gentleman ask his questions first so he can be on his way. I fear we've taken up enough of his time already," HG said in so charming a voice that the chief's attention was completely refocused on her. "Well, we would … eh … to know …. Where you got the materials Agent," he said smiling HG.

"Well let's see," HG said not looking at either one of them. "I bought the supplies at the chemical supply store online."

"Did you know that the materials you were playing around with were explosive, ma'am?" he asked and Myka waited.

"You think I was bloody _playing around_ down there? Sir, I have an IQ that far surpasses most if not all people you know. People with my chemical and mechanical knowledge do not _play around_, sir. We conduct serious scientific experiments that produce significant results!" HG said in her less than friendly tone.

The chief was about to point out that her high IQ would have gotten her seriously injured had she been on the other side of that door but one of his men was calling him urgently.

"Chief! We have a situation here," the young man called out. The man in charge ran over to the group of firemen than had just come out of the house. Two of them were being held up by their buddies -apparently unconscious.

"What the hell happened here, Jones?" he asked his next in charge.

"They took their masks off after the hazard meter gave the clear, sir," the young man explained.

"Let's get them to the hospital stat," the Chief yelled and the EMT's who had accompanied them took them into the ambulance.

"They're going to be fine," HG said assuredly to Myka who worried what had done this to them.

"How do you know?" she asked HG who looked very calm.

"That was what I was working on," HG said in a low voice.

"Yes, we know – dangerous chemicals," Myka said.

"Not _dangerous_, Myka. They're going to be fine. If I am correct, they inhaled a small amount of the hydrogen sulfide and are in a chemically induced suspended animation-like hypothermia," HG said calmly.

"Hypothermia?" Myka asked not feeling any better about HG's explanation.

"Yes, I was working on figuring out the correct amount necessary to place someone in a '_forced hibernation_' if you will. It's been done on mice but not successfully on humans. Until today," HG said wondering how she could monitor the young men's conditions. Claudia would have to hack into the hospital's system for her.

"You're playing with chemicals that when inhaled might cause people to go into hibernation?" Myka asked.

"Yes, it in essence makes them cold blooded. Temporarily of course," HG said as if this cleared it all up.

"What possible application could this have, Helena?" Myka asked.

"Think about it Myka. We could bottle the right amount and when faced with a terrible foe, we could throw the bottle down and they would inhale it and go into a stupor," HG explained happy that Myka was finally back on target.

"Do you have any on you now?" Myka asked HG.

"No of course not. Why?" HG asked.

"Because Artie is on his way over here with the Fire Chief," Myka said.

"I think Artie is already cold blooded," HG said under her breath.

The Chief's hazardous material expert assured him the chemicals were all things you could get legitimately and that the damage was contained to the work space and the door that was blown off. The chief went back to give Helena his official warning about being more careful around hazardous materials and Myka assured him that he did not have to worry – Helena was banned from _playing_ _around_ with chemicals for the foreseeable future. HG held her tongue at Myka's choice of words.

The firemen left the same way they came; lights flashing and sirens blaring alerting the entire town that they had just been out on call. The noise did nothing to help Artie's head that was already pounding. He looked down at his watch. It wasn't yet 9:30.

"I think this is a personal best for you Agent Wells," he said as he returned to the house after the firemen deemed it safe.

Leena was already on the phone with the local handyman asking if he could come out to replace the door and perhaps build a new workbench. He said he could be there Monday and that he had already heard in town that there had been a huge chemical explosion out at the B&B. "Is it safe to come out there?" he asked Leena. She assured him if Artie was at work, it would be safe for him to come.

"Helena, please promise me you will be more careful," Myka said to her friend.

"I will darling," HG said thinking this had been a rather calm reaction on her part. But as HG went to follow Myka into to have breakfast, Myka turned around to face her.

"Where are you going?" Myka asked.

"I was going to wash up and then have breakfast with you darling," HG said sweetly.

"No, you're going back downstairs and clean up the mess you made," Myka said smiling.

"Now?" HG asked wondering why that couldn't wait until after she'd had her tea at least.

"If you don't do it, Leena will be down there doing it for you and you don't want that to happen, do you Helena?" Myka asked.

"Well, if Leena wants to …," HG started to say and then caught the look on Myka's face. It clearly read – _wrong answer_. "No," she changed her answer to. She resigned herself to the fact that Myka was upset with her and this was her passive aggressive way of dealing with it.

"No bloody way to treat a genius, if you ask me," Helena mumbled to herself as she went back into the basement to clean up the mess.

Myka smiled and shook her head but didn't answer her brilliant friend who nearly got herself killed. Myka would have to calm down – a lot – before she talked to HG about that fact.

* * *

It has been my experience that you guys are terrific in your feedback/comments. I hope you will  
continue if you are reading this story. It especially helps when I've not written the ending to this  
story ... so who knows where it will go.

Just know I am NOT happy with Season 4 so far.


	2. No Pain, No Gain

"Biologically the species is the accumulation of the experiments of all its successful individuals since the beginning." **H. G. Wells**

* * *

**Chapter 2 No Pain, No Gain**

Artie had learned a long time ago that he should savor the quiet moments whenever they came, and so after the firemen left and HG went back downstairs, he resumed his paper reading in spite of the cold cup of coffee. The others were in the dining room eating and since he had lost his appetite, he didn't join them.

"Artie," Leena interrupted his quietude. He smiled even though he didn't mean it and looked over the paper.

"Yes?" he asked wishing she'd say '_oh you're busy? This can wait_.'

"Artie, I'm worried about HG," Leena shared. _Why didn't anyone worry about Artie_, Artie wondered.

"We all worry about Agent Wells," he said trying to get back to his paper.

"No Artie I mean, I think she's different," Leena tried again. Artie scrunched down the paper in his lap to address this.

"Different? This is news to you? There isn't anything about that woman that could not be described as '_different_'. Her accent, her attitude, the way she has to have tea prepared, and the way she has to do things her way, the ….," and the more Artie listed things the more agitated he became.

"No Artie, that's not what I mean," Leena said trying to counter him with calmness. "I think HG needs projects or something to keep her busy."

"Yes, I know. It's called _working at the Warehouse_!" Artie said.

"No, I think she needs a hobby – you know –in her spare time," Leena said thinking it through much to Artie's annoyance.

"You know, Leena. In spite of the fact that most days I feel as if I'm running a day care, I am not in charge of them when they're off the clock," Artie shared.

"Well, HG was off the clock this morning and nearly blew up the house. I thought maybe if we helped her with some activities, we could all benefit," Leena said in the only truly mature voice of the house.

"I'll get her some coloring books the next time I'm in town," Artie said trying to resume his reading.

"That's it!" Leena said.

"Really? You want me to get her coloring books? Cats or connect the dots?" Artie asked.

"No, the next time you're in town if not before, ask Dr. Calder if she couldn't do something there," Leena stated.

"You want me to unleash her on the Doctor?" Artie said defensively.

"She has a lab, right? Maybe there's something HG could help them with. She's very bright, Artie. Surely you know that," Leena reminded him. There wasn't a day that went by that Artie wasn't reminded how bright Helena was and how lucky he was that the brilliant mind was working for them.

"If I ask Vanessa, will you go away for the rest of the day?" Artie asked resigned to the fact that Leena was right.

"Yes - unless you don't want me to make dinner later because then you might, just might, have to deal with me again," Leena said happy.

"Pot roast?" Artie asked hoping it was because this was his favorite meal.

"We'll see," Leena said even though the meat was already being prepared.

"I'll call Vanessa now," Artie said because Leena had finally presented the correct motivation.

Helena ascended from the basement after having dutifully cleaned up the mess. She complained, wisely only to herself, that she was cleaning up the mess the firemen had made as well. She collected the broken glass beakers and put them in a box and swept up the fragments of the wooden table that she had been working on. It was damaged from the chemical explosion and she thought she'd have a new one built to replace it. She already knew the impending lecture would include some prohibitions about mixing chemicals in the house. Then she remembered that she needed to write down the amounts of the hydrogen sulfide that was in the beaker and guestimate how much the firemen had inhaled. She had no way to be sure of course and wished she had better data. She doubted very much that Artie would let her repeat the experiment. An hour or so later, after she had cleaned up the mess and her face, she went in to have her tea.

"Good news, Wells," Artie said to her as she sat down with Myka. HG knew it was good news because he never called them by just their last names unless it was good news. The first time he did it, Helena responded with what she thought was the appropriate - "thank you Nielsen," but it didn't work. That was further proof to HG that _American logic_ was an oxymoron in her book.

"Dr. Calder says you can come to the lab tomorrow since it's closed and work on ….whatever it is you want to work on providing of course that you promise not to destroy her lab," Artie said smiling. Nothing made Artie smile like a conversation with Vanessa unless it was actually seeing her in person.

"Artie, that's great news!" Myka said impressed that Artie had even thought of that. She grabbed HG's hand but she pulled away in pain. "Thank you Artie. That was very thoughtful of you to ask," HG said as Myka pulled her hand back to look at it.

"HG, you've got glass in your hand," Myka said and could see the red swelling around the injected sight.

"It did feel tender," HG said. Myka was already getting the tweezers to see if she could take care of it. HG marveled at how gentle Myka's touch was and the feeling of her fingers softly touching her hand was making her forget all about the imbedded glass. In fact, it was the farthest thing on her mind. After the morning she had, she thought some stress reducing activity was what she needed and was about to suggest that Myka remove the glass and her clothes upstairs when Myka touched the wound.

"Bloody hell!" Helena yelled as the pain redirected her focus.

"You need to have this looked at," Myka said and there was no room for discussion in her tone.

"But I haven't apologized..," HG attempted because surely this could wait until she made it up to Myka for almost blowing up the house. Nothing said _I'm sorry_ like making your partner writhe in ecstasy on a lazy Saturday morning.

"HG the firemen are doing fine," Claudia burst through the door with the good news. Of course, this made Artie ask how Claudia knew this. The stammering which followed told him she had obtained that information in a manner not condoned by regulations.

"Did you see any report that said how much hydrogen sulfide was in their system?" HG asked furthering his suspicions.

"Ah…well, no HG how would I have seen anything like that. I mean, geesh I'd have to be hooked into their database or something to see that which would be totally not cool," Claudia said hoping HG would pick up on the boulder size hint she was dropping.

"Damn, perhaps you could get to the blood work report …..," HG said because she had a one track mind. Myka nudged her. "Darling?" HG asked unable to read the expression on Myka's face. Artie's was a little clearer. "Oh," HG said finally.

"You can check on them yourself when I take you to the ER to have this glass removed," Myka said putting an end to all the discussions. She went upstairs to get her phone and keys.

"Gotta go," Claudia yelled because she was not going to be left to answer Artie's questions.

"Why do I ever leave that Warehouse?" he asked out loud.

* * *

Claudia jumped in the back seat as Myka readied to drive HG to the hospital. "I will not allow a stranger to operate on my hand," she announced as they took off.

"I doubt you'll need an operation, HG. Right Myka?" Claudia asked.

"No I don't think you'll need surgery," Myka assured both of them.

"Then I will not allow a stranger to do anything to my hand," HG clarified. "Surely I can do this myself, Myka."

"It's very deep Helena. I don't know how you aren't in a lot of pain," Myka said out loud.

"I have things that distract me," HG said as she used her other hand to move up Myka's leg.

"Get a room," Claudia yelled from the backseat.

"Gladly," HG said needing no encouragement.

"Stop you two," Myka said as she gently removed HG's hand so she could concentrate on driving. The gesture was not lost on HG who never took kindly to being rebuked even if it was so Myka could drive safely.

"Well, I don't care. I'm not letting them do anything to my hand. You can turn the car around Myka Bering because I refuse," HG said as Myka continued to drive to town.

"Your tantrums never get old," Claudia laughed from behind and drew the glare of the Brit. "I mean, you know, they're refreshing. Yes, that's the word," Claudia said quickly.

Myka pulled up to the ER entrance and came around to the passenger's side of the car. She already knew she would have to coax Helena to come with her. '_What can't ice cream work on her the way it does on Pete,' _ Myka wondered. She opened the door but HG sat there.

"I promise I won't let a stranger touch you," Myka said and HG looked at her. "Maybe when they meet you they'll just allow you to use the instruments to get it out," Myka proposed and that make all the sense in the world to Helena. She unbuckled and got out.

Claudia was surprised that all Myka had to do was flash her badge and they were taken to a small room. No paperwork? No triage? No treat the gunshot wounds first like on television?

"Claudia, while Myka explains to the nice attendant that I am more than capable of doing this myself, perhaps you could check on those reports we were looking for," HG suggested as if they would simply share the information with her.

"Sure HG. I'll just tell them that I'm from the house where those firemen were almost poisoned and oh, could I get their blood count?" Claudia said.

"Sarcasm is very unbecoming in a young lady," HG said bluntly. Claudia was about to say something when she caught sight of who was coming down the hall.

"No way am I missing this. I'll go later," she said.

Helena looked up from her hand to see what Claudia would find so interesting. There in the doorway stood Gloria Brown - the nurse who had attended Helena when she was shot a long time ago in Nebraska. She was so good with Helena both medically and personally, that she was eventually offered a job to work with Dr. Calder and the Warehouse Agents. Gloria immediately took to HG and although Helena would not admit it, she took immediately to the nurse. HG guarded herself against the immense feelings of emotions she had for this woman by protesting her presence and playing down her affections for her. Myka understood that what HG was really doing was protecting herself from Gloria ever leaving for good. Gloria understood it, too and never took what HG said personally. No one handled HG like Gloria did and she was a pleasure to watch in action.

"You know darlin, you can just come and visit me any time you want. You don't have to go all injurin' yourself just to see me," the nurse said as she followed her smile into the room. "Now what did you go and do to yourself, Helena?" Gloria asked with her hands on her round hips. The sight of the woman caught HG off guard but she wouldn't dare let on.

"I believe there is a more proper greeting to offer when you haven't seen someone in weeks," Helena said because it had been weeks since Gloria visited and it bothered HG.

"You are so right, darlin. Myka, how are you sweetie?" she said grabbing the woman who towered over her and catching her in a tight hug. "Still a pest?" she asked without waiting for the answer. She turned to Claudia. "You get more beautiful every time I see you," she said as Claudia fought the feeling of not wanting to let go. "Come here you," she said to HG who stood stiffly as the woman embraced her hardest and winked at Myka.

"More to your liking, Agent Wells?" Gloria asked and there wasn't an ounce of sarcasm in her voice. She really meant it.

"Fine," HG said because she had gotten what she asked for.

"Now let's take a look at you," Gloria said as she put on the magnifying lamp and waited for HG to extend her hand. It didn't appear.

"Madam, if you will be so kind as to fetch me the correct instruments, I can assure you that I am more than capable of removing the glass myself," HG said directly.

"Mmm, mmm, mmm. You just never cease to amaze me Helena," Gloria said sincerely. "How did you do this?" she asked as she opened up the tray of instruments and bandages.

"I was conducting an experiment…," HG started and Gloria cut her off.

"Oh yes I heard about that from the nursing staff. Playing with chemicals and nearly blew up the house?" she said not looking at HG or she would have seen the intense glare at her choice of words.

"Madam, I do not _play_ with chemicals. I am, among other things, a scientist. A damn good scientist and before I was reduced to being a government retriever….." and she stopped. "No offense," she said to Myka.

"No, none taken Helena," Myka said smiling. She knew that HG got rattled by very little in life and right now, that _very little_ was dressed in all white and was busy looking at HG's hand.

"Aha and how did the glass get in here?" the nurse asked.

"They made me clean up the mess!" HG protested in a tone that was supposed to help Gloria realize the horror of it.

"They didn't!" she said and couldn't help the grin that erupted.

"I hope you are a better medical assistant than satirist," was HG's retort.

"Assistant am I?" Gloria said as she retrieved a syringe.

"What the frack is that for?" Claudia asked at the sight of it.

"Well, this is a local anesthetic in case Agent Wells is not successful at getting the glass out and pushes it in farther and then I have to make an incision to cut it out," Gloria explained.

"You will be doing nothing of the sort," HG clarified. "You are not authorized to perform surgery on my hand!"

"Darlin, when it comes to taking care of you, I am authorized to do anything and everything. Ain't no one out there who would want to come in here and do this job," Gloria said truthfully. HG thought over what she was saying. The throbbing in her hand was getting worse.

"Fine, you have one shot - as Pete would say," HG told the nurse in no uncertain terms and extended her hand again for inspection. "You are medically qualified to do this, are you not?" HG huffed as she sat across from the nurse.

"Sarcasm is very unbecoming in you, Helena," Gloria said unaware that she was giving HG back her own words.

"You are more insufferable than this wound," HG lied.

"Then stop being a baby and let me get it out and I'll be on my way," Gloria smiled across the table. She didn't wait to see HG's expression and knew Myka would calm her down as she started to retrieve the entrenched shards. Helena's stubbornness would not have allowed her to flinch but she didn't have to anyway. Gloria's touch was methodical and gentle as she slowly pulled at the glass and removed all the evidence. She washed the wound and put an antiseptic gel on it before she bandaged it up.

"Good as new," she said as she finished up.

"Finally," HG said and saw Myka's expression. "Thank you," she added so as not to be in trouble.

"And I guess I will see you again tomorrow," Gloria said to Helena.

"Really?" was out of HG's mouth before she knew it and her excitement was evident.

"Yes, it seems Dr. Calder has authorized you to work in her lab and she wants me to …..," Gloria stopped from saying 'babysit' and finished with, 'assist you.'

"Finally that woman does something that makes sense," HG said because she had little tolerance for anyone who got in her way. Except Gloria.

"I'll be sure to tell her you were asking for her," Gloria said. "Myka, you take good care of the patient. _She can do whatever she wants as long as it doesn't hurt her hand_," were Gloria's poor choice of words.

It would be the one thing HG repeated to Myka several times as she spent the evening apologizing to Myka in her own special way.

* * *

**That prior Friday - several hundred miles from the Warehouse:**

"Mr. Grayson, where shall I say you are for the next couple of days?" his secretary asked. It was very unlike her boss to take off without letting her know the details.

"If anyone asks, tell them I am in Florida, getting my taxes done," Randall said as he looked at his computer. It had taken him some time but he finally found the woman whose name he had heard only in whispers.

He touched the screen as he smiled and said only to himself; "How do you do, Karen Carson? You are just the woman I have been searching for."


	3. Test Subjects

**Chapter 3 Test Subjects**

"The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed."  
― C.G. Jung

* * *

HG woke with a burst of energy and excitement. Her gentle ministrations were replaced by nothing short of shaking when she hurried Myka to get ready Sunday morning. Myka wondered if HG's exuberance had just surpassed Pete's bakery high. The last time they were there, the store owner asked him to get his hands ….and face…. off the glass display case. He then suggested to Myka that sugar may not be the best choice for someone with '_his condition'_.

"We have to go, Myka!" HG said as she threw clothes at her partner to dress. "I told Gloria to be at the lab at 8 sharp."

"Oh I'm sure Gloria appreciated that Helena. It's Sunday and probably her day off," Myka said dragging herself out of bed. She had just enough time to see the expression on HG's face and she knew what she was thinking. How could Gloria have a day off when HG needed her? Impossible.

Myka was lucky she got to swallow the bite of danish HG shoved in her hand before they got in the car to head to Dr. Calder's office. As promised, Gloria was already there and waiting for her guests.

"Now Dr. Calder….," she attempted to say to HG but she got the impolite wave of the hand.

"Please Gloria. As much as I appreciate Dr. Calder allowing me to use her lab, I do not need to hear her rules or suggestions," HG said curtly. Myka looked at Gloria with raised eyebrows.

"Where are the test subjects?" HG asked as she eyed the contents of the laboratory.

"The what?" - both women asked and HG looked at them.

"How am I to perform any experiments without test subjects?" HG asked as if this were a given.

"Helena, you don't expect to … I mean you're not seriously thinking….what exactly are you working on?" Myka said because she hadn't been given the privilege of coffee with the danish.

"Myka, Claudia obtained the blood work on those firemen. If I am to recreate the chemically induced hibernation experiment, I need subjects," HG explained as she collected the material she needed.

"You had Claudia hack into the hospital database?" Myka asked.

"Helena! That's against all the privacy acts that protect patient confidentiality," Gloria said adding to the admonishment.

"They were in _my_ house. They inhaled _my_ chemicals! That makes them _my_ subjects - whether they like it or not - and therefore, I am entitled to their information," HG declared.

"She believes that, doesn't she?" Gloria asked Myka.

"I'm afraid so," Myka said convinced it was too early to deal with this.

"Well Helena, there are no test subjects here. Just us," Gloria said pointing to Myka and herself.

"Fine, you'll have to do then," HG said as she opened a notebook and scribbled some notes. "I'll need your height and weight," she said to Gloria.

"Lord, you think I'm going to drink your concoctions?" Gloria asked and was momentarily relieved when HG said, 'Of course not.'

"I want you to inhale it," she added.

"Now Helena, you can play scientist all day long if you want, but you will not be givin' anything to Agent Bering…. or me for that matter," Gloria said. She stood with her hands on her hips to let HG know she was serious. "Why in blue blazes would you want to put anyone in hibernation? Like bears?" Gloria asked.

"Do you at least have mice?" HG asked exasperated by the lack of necessary materials and incessant questions.

"Oh Lordy, yes. We got 'em - won't go near 'em . I 'm a nurse not a lab technician. They're in the other room but if you're getting them, I'm leavin'," Gloria announced.

"You really should face that fear," HG said to her. "I know - we'll do behavior desensitization. Myka, go get a mouse," HG ordered.

"You know, Helena. I think I'm going to pass on the rodent participation before breakfast if it's all the same to you," Myka said.

"You had breakfast," HG reminded her.

"Gloria, would you like to join me at the diner for a real breakfast?" Myka asked the nervous nurse.

"Well, I'm supposed to …..," Gloria said remembering that Dr. Calder asked her to babysit Helena while she was in the lab. But no one had discussed mice. That was a deal breaker.

"Yes, Agent Bering I would love to. Now Helena, no explosions or fires or injurin' yourself while I go have coffee with Myka, ok?" Gloria asked in her maternal voice.

"Yes, yes," HG dismissed them as she hurried to get her test subjects. "At least the damn woman has enough sense to have mice in a lab," she muttered.

* * *

"Why doesn't Helena like Dr. Calder?" Gloria asked Myka as they walked to the diner.

"Because the doctor thinks she's your boss," Myka said.

"But Dr. Calder is my boss," Gloria said.

"You do know Helena believes you are here for one purpose and one purpose only," Myka said laughing. "Helena thinks you work for her."

"Oh Lord that woman is funny," Gloria said with great affection.

* * *

As the women enjoyed their morning meal, Helena busied herself in the lab. She read the blood work reports. Both firemen had their skeleton muscles temporarily paralyzed and had recovered from their stupor within minutes of inhaling the gas. They were immobile and their heart rates and blood pressure dropped but not to dangerous levels. Both returned to normal vital signs within twenty minutes.

Helena read the studies done on mice carefully and was able to reproduce the experiments flawlessly. She knew she had to be very careful. In spite of the fact that hydrogen sulfide is produced in the body and the environment and that our own enzymes we possess are capable of detoxifying it to harmless sulfate, it can be deadly in large doses. Helena worked all morning long on the mathematical calculations that would produce the correct amount of the noxious gas that would subdue a human – temporarily.

Her rodent test subjects were all well and recovered from the experiment. She returned them to their cages and only considered bringing one along in her pocket for a minute. Even the brilliant mind of HG Wells knew that a mouse in a diner was not a good idea.

Myka and Gloria returned to the lab as HG was finishing up.

"You didn't kill them all, did you?" Gloria asked as she looked around and could not find a single mouse.

"Of course not!" HG said insulted.

"All done?" Myka asked.

"Yes, I was successful in completing the experiment. I now know the amount a human can inhale and be placed in an induced state temporarily," HG announced proudly.

"Like with our tesla's?" Myka asked pointing out the obvious.

"Without the crackly noise," HG said back.

"But with a smell," Myka said because the rotten egg smell still lingered in the air. "Ah HG, if that smell is in your clothes, you're driving home naked," Myka said without thinking.

"Promises, promises," HG said back.

* * *

**"_At least your son isn't an agent, Irene." Jane Lattimer_**

When Randall Grayson spoke – people listened. At thirty five, he had become one of the most successful motivational speakers. His seminars were always packed with people anxious to find the cure for what ailed them. And Randall Grayson was a very convincing salesman. "The only thing that keeps you from reaching your dreams in life is fear. Face your fear and you will remove the stumbling blocks that keep you from what you want." Randall thought he knew what he was talking about. Raised in a middle class neighborhood, it appeared he was a privileged child. His family lived comfortably; he went to good schools and had friends. But as often the case with wounded adults, tragedy struck Randall early when his father died. He was only seven when it happened and in spite of being told that it was to cancer, Randall never really believed it. It happened all so quickly that he always suspected something else happened. The family tried to pick up the pieces, but this left only his mother and him. His mother was an attentive caring woman who always seemed to be there for him. When family and friends worried how a single mother would make do, she answered – 'I will do what I have always done'. It seemed to Randall that shortly after that her job became more demanding and she had less time for him. Her increased absences affected him. His whole world was upside down now. What could possibly be more important to her than he was? Resentment and anger grew inside his heart but he kept it to himself out of fear of losing her even more. Randall wanted to be proud of his mother because she seemed to do well at her job. Within a short time, she had her own driver and people called her on the phone for what she told him were _special _meetings. But these people always called her by another name.

"Why don't they call you by your real name?" he asked her one day as she readied to leave him with the babysitter.

"Well, it is my name. I use my maiden name at work," she tried to explain.

"Yes, but your name is Grayson, like mine," Randall said as she gathered some papers.

"Of course it is, Randy. But for the purposes of my job, it's better if I use a different name. I know that sounds confusing but you'll have to trust me that it's simply the better choice," his mother said to him.

It was just one more thing he didn't like. Her absences increased and now she missed his wrestling matches at school or the science Olympiad which he won. Randall had inherited his mother's brains but also his father's temper. Randall pushed the anger and resentment away long enough to leave for college. He thought by leaving her this time, he had conquered his feelings. But all these years later, they were still there – festering like an opened wound. He had many successes in business but never found the same level of success in relationships. A therapist would tell him he had abandonment issues but to prove him wrong, he left the therapist and therapy. He devoted himself to self-discovery and along the way, wrote a book and then two that described the steps to take to face your fears.

Now Randall was about to remove the stumbling blocks to his happiness. He was about to strike back at everything that took his mother's attention away from him – no matter that he was almost thirty years too late.

He had the motive and now the means to act on his plan. It wasn't revenge in his mind as much as it was evening out an old score. Someone he loved took away what was most important to him so he was going to take away what was important to her. He had studied his mother's job enough to know there was a structure that was very important to her – the people in the place she worked. Ironically, the absentee mother was indeed a caring and present boss. Any time he pointed this out to her, she dismissed it telling him nothing mattered more to her than he did. But a device would beep and distract her and she would have to leave. It didn't bolster her argument. The _coup de grace_ was last week when his mother promised to be at a book signing and didn't show.

"Trust me, Randy, if I could have been there, I would have," was the familiar line he heard dozens of times. He hadn't trusted her in years. But this final straw pushed him over the edge and he swore he would show her how disappointed he was. She took away so much from him – now he would repay her in kind.

She rarely talked about her work or the people in spite of telling him that he was her '_one'_. Answers to his questions were cursory, so Randall had to do his own research. He listened to her conversations when they were together and even looked in her briefcase one time. It contained files on the agents that worked for her. He memorized what he could about them. He took pictures of them with his cell phone. Maybe if he could do something to her staff she cared so much about, she would understand his hurt.

He knew it was a felony to do anything to an agent so he would have to get someone else to help him. Someone who didn't care about the law. Someone who was a federal agent herself – at one time. He heard his mother talk about her on the phone one time assuring one of her bosses that _the device was working and she was securely placed in Florida and performing her job as a tax accountant_. They had confirmation of her movements on a daily basis if they needed it and she assured them she was _no threat to Agent Wells. _Perhaps this agent, whoever she was, would be the chink in the Warehouse armor.

Randall was smooth. He brought in some tax questions to the office in Tampa, Florida where the object of his interest worked. He charmed her and as planned, they met for dinner Friday night. Karen Carson was cordial and friendly. She was also an attentive lover in bed he discovered that night. It would take him two days to gain the confidence of the woman who felt something was _missing_ in her life. She thought it was the man of her dreams. Randall was about to tell her it was her memory that was missing.

He asked her pointed questions – ones about her life the past year and Karen had trouble answering them. She assumed that she was in Florida working at H&R Block and living in the same apartment since college. But Randall obtained documents that proved otherwise. He convinced her she had knowledge that the government did not want her to remember. He explained that there was a chip inserted in her skull and it kept tabs on her. She freaked out and Randall was there to comfort her. And also to get her to a friend who was a hypnotist that could help her regain her memory.

By Sunday night, Randall Grayson sat across the table from a newly awakened Karen Carson. Through deep hypnosis, she had regained what the Regents and Mrs. Frederic had suppressed in her memory. She recalled she worked for the IRS and that she had been hand-picked by Mrs. Frederic to assist another agent. And now she remembered who that agent was. And with that awakening came her deepest desire – she wanted Helena Wells. She had failed twice but would not give up.

Randall offered an exchange – he would arrange to have the microchip that tied her to her immediate area removed if she would help him. She countered with another offer. She would deliver what he wanted – havoc among the agents who worked with Mrs. Frederic and in return she wanted HG Wells. They both wanted to settle old scores.

"You have to get to her," Karen said pointing down to the picture of HG. "They're all interconnected, these agents. Get Helena and the rest will crumble," Karen told him. She would have told him anything to get to HG.

"Not the youngest one? My mother seems especially fond of her," Randall asked. Karen shook her head - what did she need with Claudia?

"No, this is the one you want," she said smiling down at HG.

"You won't hurt her, right?" Randall asked.

"On the contrary, Randall. Helena and I were best of friends. I just want an opportunity to explain everything to her," Karen lied.

Randall made the necessary arrangement with a local doctor to remove the microchip from the base of Karen's skull. Karen put it inside a small purse and asked her colleague at work to keep it safe. She told her it contained personal documents and to keep it with her at all times in her pocketbook. When the IT guys checked on the transmitter as they did daily, it showed the same coordinates. The woman not only worked with Karen, she lived in the same building.

Randall flew back home late Sunday night confident that he had employed the woman who could help him make his mother understand all the wrongs she had done. Maybe she had not done them intentionally, he thought - but he suffered nonetheless.

Karen Carson packed her bag. She left a message for her boss that she needed a couple of days off for a family emergency. She opened her phone and looked at the picture Randall had forwarded to her. "We'll be together again, Helena. And this time, there will be no room for mistakes. I promise you that my love."

* * *

I hope that last swerve in the story line didn't throw you out of the reading car.


	4. AMazing Plans

**Chapter 4 A-maz-ing Plans**

**"A failure is not always a mistake; it may simply be the best one can do under the circumstances. The real mistake is to _stop_ trying." B. F. Skinner**

* * *

Monday morning came and Leena reminded Helena that she had to stay behind to wait for the repairman who was coming to fix the basement door. She waited impatiently for the man who drove up in one truck with another one following. "It's one door," she thought to herself. "If Artie hadn't hidden all the tools, I could have easily fixed it myself."

"Are you Leena?" the man asked as he got out of his truck.

"No, I am Helena. I am to show you what needs to be done," HG said.

"OK, let's have a look-see," he said as a younger man joined him. The three of them looked at the door which had the hinges pulled out of the wood. "Oh wow – is this from that explosion?" the younger man asked.

Helena marveled at how quickly news traveled in the same town where services were performed at a snail's pace. "Yes," she said. "We heard about it," he smiled.

"I would also like you to repair this wooden table down here," HG said and commenced with giving them measurements and details to replace the one that also was damaged.

"OK, ma'am - I 'm going to leave my son, SJ here to do this work. I have a project over the other side of town that I need to get to," the senior carpenter explained. When the younger man went to get his tools, HG accompanied him. Nothing made her day like discovering new tools. "What are these boards for?" she asked of the thin paneling on the truck. "Oh we're doing a basement over on Elm and they're for that," SJ said taken with the woman who was so interested in his tools. He never let anyone touch them and yet he passively stood there as Helena picked up each one and asked him what it was.

"I like a woman who knows her way around a dowel," he said flirting with her. Running her hand along the smooth surface of the paneling, HG's next idea for an experiment was born.

"Let's unload these into the house," she said and of course SJ protested because they were for another job. But Helena batted her eyelashes at the young carpenter and rolled her words slowly through her accent and he carried them in himself. He had no idea what she was doing as he worked on the door but she drilled holes and attached latches to many of the panels. Three hours later, SJ had helped Helena place the boards in a maze formation from one end of the basement to the other.

"You know these are supposed to go on the walls, right?" he asked her as he followed her very explicit instructions. He never liked it when the homeowner got involved in the project but for some reason he didn't really feel he had a choice. Or maybe it was the view he got every time Helena bent over to lift one of the boards and put it into the track on the floor. He would have helped her rebuild the Great Wall of China if there had been enough wood.

"You're sure you want people to have to walk zigzag through this just to get to the laundry room?" he finally asked HG.

"Not to the laundry, sir. To the donuts that I am going to place at the end of the walkway. If my hypothesis is correct, and they usually are, Mr. Lattimer will increase his time through the maze once the reward is placed at the other end," HG said beaming.

"So you gonna have your friend find his way through this hallway just to get some donuts?" SJ asked but he wasn't looking at HG's face.

"All in the name of science, yes," Helena said.

The young carpenter gladly offered to clean up the mess and was on his way. He'd have to come up with a good story for why the paneling that was supposed to go to the next site wasn't on the truck. Helena was not thinking of how she would explain to Leena how she converted the basement into a paneled maze.

* * *

Karen Carson left the doctor's office after the procedure to remove the chip from her scalp a new woman – or more accurately – her old self. She marveled at how the anger she should have felt for being made into a puppet by Mrs. Frederic didn't seem to surface. She was too busy being excited about the prospect of seeing Helena again. She got to the airport early for her trip to South Dakota after giving her coworker the envelope with the chip in it. She sat at a table in Starbucks, scribbling on a piece of paper. She was an attractive woman and soon caught the attention of the man seated next to her.

"Whatcha working on there?" he asked trying to strike up a conversation. She never looked at him – she just looked down at the paper.

"Something I've been thinking about for a long time," she answered.

When she looked down, she saw that she had written HG's name in cursive letters over and over. And then there was Myka's name with daggers through it. The only way she would get Helena for herself, was to remove Myka Bering. Her other plans failed because both times she had entrapped Helena and Myka was able to rescue her. But she was not giving up on getting what she wanted. This time she would follow Randall's sage advice; she would _remove the stumbling block_ to her happiness. Myka Bering had to be removed …. for good.

* * *

Myka was getting concerned that Helena was stuck at the house so long. She agreed with Leena that HG should be the one to stay while the carpenter fixed the door because it was her fault. But it was after lunch now, and there was no complaint filled text from her about how unfair it was that she had to stay there.

"Pete, you got anything on the vibe-o-meter?" Myka asked trying not to raise suspicion. Pete stopped his inventory and looked upward trying to get in touch with his feelings. "No, nothing," he said and Myka felt relieved but was still anxious for HG to appear. She was there soon enough and happy – almost too happy – to be doing inventory with the rest of them.

"Everything okay at the house?" Myka asked as HG read over the list.

"Oh yes, door is fixed and table repaired," HG reported.

"And nothing else going on there?" Myka asked her friend.

"No, no nothing going on that I know of," HG said not looking at Myka.

"So no helping out the carpenter? No removing a wall? No building a new staircase?" Myka said getting closer to HG.

"New staircase?" HG laughed. "Don't be ridiculous, why would I put a new staircase….?" HG tried.

Myka put her hand to touch Helena's head and extracted a sliver of wood paneling. HG smiled sheepishly at the object in Myka's hand. "I may have helped out a little." Myka laughed because she knew Helena could not stand idly by while someone got to use all the tools and build something. She would talk to Artie about letting her have them back maybe for some small house repairs. What harm could there be in that?

* * *

Randall met Karen at the airport and they traveled to the hotel together. He wanted to discuss how their plans were going to work. He would ask his mother out to dinner – and after getting her to admit that nothing mattered more to her than he did, Karen's plan would come into action.

"I want something that will distract her – have an emergency where they have to call her – I don't care but I want to prove to her once and for all, that she's been lying to me," Randall said.

Karen stared across the table at him_. Mother issues? Really?_ She found him pathetic and yet there was something exciting about him. Or maybe it was just all the pent up frustration that he allowed her to release in bed that made him attractive.

"We make a good team," she said to him and didn't mean a word of it. It made Randall think the therapist was wrong and he had finally found the relationship that would confirm he was normal. He couldn't have been more mistaken. For a minute he got distracted and thought maybe he and Karen should just stay together and forget the Warehouse Agents and his mother. But Karen brought him right back on track by tapping into his anger.

"That woman abandoned you, Randy. And she lied to you. I saw her with those agents. She was doting and so attentive. She hand-picked me to help Helena. Who gets personal attention from the IRS unless you know somebody. Did she ever get you an expert to help?" were just some of the questions she asked to stoke his fire.

"Why did they try to erase your memory?" he asked.

"Because that's how they are. I knew stuff about Helena Wells and they, I mean, your mother wanted to protect her. Can you imagine your boss going to such extremes to protect you, Randy? I wonder what it is that your mother sees in them that she never saw in you? Sad really," Karen said deftly posing her inquires.

"Let's get these stumbling blocks out of the way, Randall," she cooed in his ear and he agreed.

"Then you and me, baby…," he started to say but she covered his mouth in kisses. There would be no 'them' when this was over; there would only be her and Helena. But no need to tell him that just yet.

Just as he was climaxing the second time that night, she whispered in his ear; "I need a gun." "Sure," he agreed because he would have agreed to anything. A buddy of his was a gun enthusiast. He'd get him to push through the paperwork and have the Glock for her.

"You're not going to shoot that Agent Wells, right?" he asked after she said it was for protection.

Karen laughed out loud. "Sweetie pie, I told you. They're going to be armed so I have to at least have one to waver around in order to get them to cooperate. I wouldn't hurt a hair on Helena's head. I really like her," Karen said. Randall really should have asked if that went for all the agents but he didn't.

The more they talked about it, the more confident Randall became that this was going to work. The more they discussed it, the angrier Karen got at Myka Bering. Something was waking up inside of her and her partner in crime was clueless.

"So while I'm out to dinner with my mother, you'll go to the B&B where they'll all be and cause a distraction, right?" Randall asked lying back on the bed exhausted. "You're sure you can handle all of them? I mean there's at least five or six of them."

"Not to worry, honey. I know them all. I'm going to kidnap Agent Wells and the others will get all frantic and call your mother," Karen said.

"Do you even know how to use a gun?" he asked thinking she might not look believable.

She raised her fingers in the shape of a gun, aimed it at his head and 'pulled' the trigger. She pretended to blow the smoke off her finger shaped gun.

"I'm dead on," she smiled at him.

* * *

**Many thanks to everyone for posting comments, ideas and questions. **  
**Thanks to Ariel Hedgehog whose idea it was to bring this OC back and have her go after Myka. **  
**I hope the plot hasn't lost you along the way ...**


	5. Worst Laid Plans

**Chapter 5 The Worst Laid Plans**

**"Failing to plan is planning to fail." Proverb**

* * *

Randall's plan was easy. "Hi mother, I'm in town and would like to have dinner." Karen had to plan a little more detail. Walking up to a house that people would recognize her right away and know that she was not supposed to be there was tricky. She had spent the last couple of days watching the B&B. Her heart ached when she saw the raven haired woman with ivory skin and dark eyes emerge from the house. "Helena," she said smiling. Then the sight of Myka following behind angered her and made her breath quicken. God, how she hated that woman!

By Wednesday afternoon, the large bouquet of flowers arrived at the B&B for Mrs. Frederic. Everyone thought it was odd but Artie assured them it was probably from her son.

"She has a son?" Myka asked in amazement. "She's human?" Pete asked surprised. "Holy pampers, Mrs. F is a mother," said Claudia. Helena was the only one not surprised by the news. There was a certain maternal instinct about the woman that made sense to Helena now. She smiled to think that Mrs. Frederic had been a doting parent.

"He's in town and is going to see her tomorrow night for dinner. Don't make a big deal, ok? Not sure I was supposed to share that information," Artie said.

The flowers had a small card signed from Randall which was visible but what they couldn't see was a listening device attached to one of the stems. Karen listened carefully to the sounds of chatter. She watched through binoculars as Artie left and she noted the time. She was trying to establish their patterns.

Her blood got cold when she heard Myka's comment that the flowers were beautiful and HG responded '_they pale in comparison to you'_. Each time she heard Myka's voice or saw Myka, anger grew inside her and what little grip on reality she had, loosened a little more.

She was convinced that if she only had time with Helena, she could make her understand that they were soul mates and meant to be together. She remembered the smell of Helena's hair, the touch of her skin, the soft lips she had pushed up against. Of course Helena had refused her. That damn Myka was there clouding her thoughts. Myka may have appeared quiet but Karen knew from the first time she met her, there was a dark side to that woman that Helena could not see. Myka must have something on Helena, she thought. She needs to be rescued or God knows what will happen to her. She'll understand that once we're alone, she told herself.

A little while later, there was a lot of noise in the earpiece and commotion. There was yelling of names and it seemed something had happened. The noise was muffled a little but the agents were in the vicinity of the flowers. Karen heard;

"Are you okay, Pete? Oh my God, what happened?" Myka was yelling.

"He's okay. Just a little accident down there," Helena was responding as she assisted her friend up the stairs from the basement.

"Is that a donut in your mouth?" Myka asked Pete who was holding his head.

"Aha. An I gotit in rek-ord time!" he said through the donut filled teeth.

"There's blood on your head. Helena! He's bleeding," Myka yelled uncertain of why HG was so calm.

"Yes, I see that Myka," HG said guiding him to the bench in the hallway.

"What the hell happened?" Myka asked grabbing for her phone.

"Da bords fell," Pete said chewing on his reward. He was smiling from the confectionary delight but the blood was running down his face now from the gash on his forehead. Helena was doing her best to press on it but the blood was quickly soaking up the towel.

"Claudia! Call Dr. Calder," Myka yelled and got another clean towel.

"What fell?" Myka asked when she saw the wound. Pete looked up at Helena without saying a word.

"The paneling in the basement fell over when Pete was … eh…. going through the maze I built," HG said swallowing hard.

"Of course," Myka said as she pressed on his wound.

"Dr. Calder isn't there but Gloria is on her way," Claudia reported.

Karen watched as the white Prius pulled up outside the B&B and the middle aged woman waddled up the stairs with a bag in a hurry. Inside she could hear only muffled sounds as the agents had moved Pete into the living room.

"Lord, what hit you, Pete?" Gloria said looking at the gash. It wasn't deep but it was long. The corner of one of the boards cut across him as they toppled over and buried him in a pile.

"A piece of wood," Pete said feeling the pain more now that the sugar high had passed.

"Let me see here. She gently dabbed the wound with a cotton ball and antibiotic cleanser. He loved how she held onto his chin as she administered the salve. "Well, thankfully you don't need stitches. I will put some butterfly band aids on it to hold it together. We wouldn't want to scar that handsome face of yours," she said as she winked at him. She noticed her favorite agent uncharacteristically pacing the room and mute.

"Are you in much pain, Agent Lattimer?" Gloria asked as she patted his knee. This woman reduced them all to their inner child by her tender ways. "A little," Pete said.

"Well then, you need to take it easy tonight. I want you to take one of these pills before you go to bed. I think ice cream might help now if you're up to it. Now you listen to Myka, OK? I'll leave him in your hands so please take good care of him. No rough housing, Pete," she warned with a raised eyebrow.

* * *

"Helena, can you walk me to the car?" she asked in the calmest of voice but it still unnerved Helena. She walked out onto the porch without a word because she knew HG would tell her what was bothering her when she was ready. Helena walked her to the car without uttering a word until she couldn't take it anymore.

"OK yes, it was my fault. I constructed the bloody maze in the basement and it wasn't secure and when Pete went through the bloody thing, it collapsed. There! Are you satisfied?" HG said all in one breath. She shifted her weight from one leg to the other and wouldn't look at the woman who hadn't asked her a single question.

"He's going to be okay, Helena," Gloria said putting her bag in the passenger side. Her answer didn't calm HG down any who was feeling something very unusual – guilt.

"But it was my bloody fault!" HG finally got to the heart of the matter. "He could have been seriously hurt!"

"Okay but thankfully, he wasn't. But he could use some help so maybe you could offer him some assistance for the next couple of days. Don't let him bend or move around too much. Could you do that, Helena?" Gloria asked in a calm soothing tone.

"Yes," Helena answered.

"I think Pete would like that," the nurse said having taken care of both the injured parties. Gloria's words and presence were very calming for Helena. She reached out to hug the Brit and HG half expected her to reassure her Pete would be okay again. But instead she said; "You're going to be fine, Helena."

Karen watched with great interest at the scene before her. Who was this woman hugging Helena? It seemed obvious to Karen that there was great affection between them. She wasn't sure she liked that. She watched as Gloria drove by her car and decided to follow her. Fifteen minutes later, she was pulling into the parking lot outside Gloria's apartment. As the woman unloaded her medical bag from the car, Karen approached her. Gloria jumped when the woman came up behind her.

"Oh Lord!" Gloria said grabbing her ample chest to steady her heart.

"Oh I am sorry. I did seem to come out of nowhere on you. I do apologize," Karen said in a deliberately sweetened tone. '_This could not be a love interest of Helena's_,' she thought.

"Oh, it's okay. I just didn't expect you," Gloria said smiling. Karen stared at the face of the woman.

"I was wondering if you could help me? I'm looking for the B&B and can't seem to find it," Karen said taking out a map that she had in the car.

Gloria knew that the agents were the only ones at the B&B. "What brings you to Univille?" Gloria asked.

"I'm here on business and I have an old college friend out there that I wanted to visit tomorrow. Myka Bering – do you know her by any chance?" Karen asked.

"Yes, of course I know Myka," Gloria said believing the woman's story.

"Well, how nice it is to meet a friend of Myka's," Karen said without introducing herself. "I'm just here for a couple of days and thought I'd look Myka up," Karen said.

"Oh isn't that nice," Gloria said. "Well, if you stay right on that road out there, oh about ten miles I guess, you'll see the B&B right there on your right hand side."

"OK thanks. Hey don't say anything to Myka ok? I want it to be a surprise," Karen smiled broadly.

"Oh of course. She doesn't know you're in town?" Gloria asked.

"She has no idea," Karen laughed at her own joke.

"Maybe I'll see you out there tomorrow," Gloria said.

"Oh what time will you be there?" Karen asked moving towards her car.

"About 6 after I get off work," Gloria said because she wanted to check on Pete again.

"Then I will definitely see you there," Karen said glad that the woman hadn't asked her name.

Karen said goodbye and watched Gloria go into her apartment. She followed her as far as the front door and looked at the name on the bell. _G. Brown_. She got back into her car and drove to the hotel where she met up with Randall. He told her his mother had agreed to meet for dinner at 6 PM tomorrow night. "Can you time your plan to go into effect so that they call her by 6:30 or so?" he asked as he watched her undress.

"Of course sweetie, I have perfect timing," she said purposely taking her clothes off slowly to distract him. "Now let me see that gun again," she said and he retrieved the Glock from his suitcase. She took the cold steel into her hands and ran her fingers along the barrel. "Perfect," she said more to herself than her partner.

"Tomorrow after my mother gets the call and tries to leave dinner - and after I've made my point once and for all, she'll see that choosing them over me was a mistake. When it's all over, we'll meet back here. I've got us a couple of tickets to someplace warm where we can go for a few days," Randall said.

The only place warm that Karen wanted to be was in HG's arms. "That sounds wonderful," she said to him. "Will you have enough time to explain to your friend Helena whatever it is you want to tell her?" he asked already too distracted by her naked body to care about the answer. "Oh we'll have all the time we need," she said. For a man who professed to be in touch with his inner self, Randall missed all the cues that night. He mistook her eager love making for real affection between them. Karen was so physical with him that he wondered if she was into rough play. He had never been with a woman like this and he was exhausted by the time she got off him and collapsed next to him in the bed. He started to fall asleep and thought he felt the bed shaking from her own self-indulgence.

"Oh Helena," he heard her say but was too tired to ask her what that meant.

* * *

Thank you for all your posts ... and for those careful 'eyes' who catch things and question me or post their concerns.  
I appreciate them all - as always.


	6. Power of Influence

**Chapter 6 Power of Influence**

**"He will choose you, disarm you with his words, and control you with his presence. He will delight you with his wit and his plans. He will show you a good time but you will always get the bill. He will smile and deceive you, and he will scare you with his eyes. And when he is through with you, and he will be through with you, he will desert you and take with him your innocence and your pride." **Robert D. Hare, Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us

* * *

Karen prided herself on the fact that she had never really kidnapped Helena. Each time before, she had managed to get HG to come to her and refused to count coercion as the same thing. But now that Mrs. Frederic made a big deal out of her actions, she knew HG would need a little persuasion to come. And she knew exactly what would get her to cooperate. She had two cards up her sleeve now.

Still believing that Helena was under some ill power by Myka, she was convinced that once she broke that spell, Helena would see who she really was meant to be with. Karen was getting frustrated though. There didn't seem to be a time that the agents weren't traveling to and from the B&B together. She rarely saw Myka without Helena. Following them didn't seem prudent since there wasn't anyone on the road and her car would be noticed. She sat there watching them leave Thursday morning and made her boldest move yet. She saw the truck pull up with two workmen in it and watched as they spoke to Leena. They were there to remove the fallen paneling from the basement. She waited for Leena to drive off in the direction of town and walked up through the front door. "Just forgot something upstairs," she said to one of them, and of course they assumed she lived there. She went directly to Helena's room where she put on a pair of gloves. She smelled HG's clothes and remembered the perfume she wore. She touched her belongings and looked at things on her shelf. She looked at the box with the bottles on the desk and turned HG's notes over and read that the liquid became gaseous upon opening and when inhaled, induced a hibernation like state. She laughed to think her brilliant friend had just handed her such a treasure and believed that somehow, HG was working on this hoping it would help. She took a few of the bottles and closed the box and put the notes back the way she found them. She looked around the room tempted to take something, but she remembered that Myka Bering had an eidetic memory and might see something was missing. She left without anyone seeing her.

* * *

Leena begged Artie to give HG a designated area in the Warehouse where she believed her experimenting would be safer than in the house. Artie promised to put it on the '_things I will eventually get around to_' list. Leena hoped he would before the house came down around them. Pete had insisted that he could sit at the Warehouse instead of sitting at home. No one said it but they all knew he meant in the Pete Cave which was fine with them. His head still had the bandage on it, and although he said he felt okay, they were concerned. And no one more than Helena, who expressed her guilty feelings by following him around trying to anticipate his every move and need. When he went to grab his jacket she had it behind his back holding it open for him. He liked the attention but when she followed him to the Pete Cave he drew the line. "HG, I appreciate all your help today, really but I just need to spend some alone Pete time - alone - okay?" he said trying not to insult her. "Oh sure, yes, of course. Understood. Perfectly okay. But you'll call me if you need anything?" HG said closing in on him. "Yes promise," Pete said as he closed the door on the Brit and prayed she wasn't angry. "How does Myka do it?" he wondered.

Artie was waiting for HG when she returned to the office. "Well, HG you've managed to bring the fire department to the house after blowing the basement door off its hinges and now you've injured one of your fellow agents with another harebrained experiment. I believe this concludes your adventures in home experimentations for the time being, does it not?" Artie asked knowing there was only one answer. HG stopped to think for a minute as if there really was a choice and then caught Artie's expression. "Yes," she said guessing the right answer.

"Good," he said before he handed out the inventory lists.

"Darling, would you remind me to remove the wires from Artie's chair in the dining room," HG asked Myka nonchalantly as they walked together into the Warehouse.

"Wires? You weren't going to electrocute him were you, Helena?" Myka said laughing and then stopped when HG didn't smile.

"No, don't be silly. The impulses would never have actually electrocuted him. They would have merely delivered a charge through the seat at a designated time," HG explained.

"And when would that designated time be, Helena?" Myka asked realizing that the next experiment had already been set in place.

"When Artie yelled. You see, I was hoping to deliver a negative response in an attempt to alter some of his behavior," HG said as she looked over her sheet.

"Yes, well I'm glad to see that you didn't carry through on that experiment, Dr. Skinner," Myka said referencing B.F. Skinner and his work on conditioning. "Why don't you try reading Jane Austen?" Myka suggested but that made HG think of "_Emma_" and whether she should try her hand at matchmaking based on some scientific variables.

"You know Myka, Skinner proved that behavior that is rewarded is repeated," HG said invading her space and practically whispering it in Myka's ear.

"And do you think there's any behavior that I want you to repeat?" Myka asked trying to maintain what little control she had in these exchanges.

"Oh I dare say your pleas of - '_don't stop, do it again Helena, please_," indicate several behaviors you wanted repeated – over and over again just last night," HG said with an air of total confidence. Myka blushed and stammered as she uttered – 'yes, well,' - and left to do her inventory.

* * *

Karen considered her options and none of them seemed as flawless as she had hoped. Barging into the B&B had its definite drawbacks. And although she had their schedules down, it seemed they traveled in a group. The ideal plan would be to have Myka come to her alone. And she had just met the woman last night who could help her get that to happen. Gloria Brown was about to become her pawn.

Karen convinced Randall that she would need a place to talk to Helena and that she couldn't bring her back to the hotel. She hacked into the IRS database and found an office building in foreclosure that was empty. Randall struck her as the type that would talk under pressure so she decided to keep the location of it to herself.

She was sure that if she could break Myka, she would break whatever hold she had over Helena. She would want Helena to see just what kind of person Myka Bering really was. Then she would come to Karen willingly.

"Maybe this whole thing was a bad idea," Randall was saying and caught her attention. _What a wuss this guy is,_ she thought. "Why baby?" she asked in a girly voice that made men melt.

"What am I doing? Trying to prove something? She doesn't care! What's to prove?" he sulked in the chair. _God how he was getting on her nerves_. But he was the ticket to Helena and so she would tolerate him. "Now listen to me, Randall," she said straddling his legs and letting her dress rise up. "You deserve to have this. Your mother has been really mean to you and it's about time she paid. Don't let her get off the hook just because we all know how this is going to turn out. People must pay for their actions, Randy," she cooed in his ear and once again brought him under her spell. Rubbing up against him she said; "We deserve to be happy together," and he had no idea that she wasn't talking about him.  
"You're absolutely right!" he said as he picked her up and pushed her back on the bed.

How many more times she was going to have to sacrifice herself for Helena, she wondered. In her mind, this was something HG would have to appreciate ….. or else.

In Randall's mind, the plan was to be at dinner with his mother at seven o'clock. Karen would barge into the agents' home, insist that Agent Wells come with her so that they could talk. The gun meant no one would threaten Karen and she would finally get her chance to explain her irrational behavior. The agents would panic that one of their own was taken and the call would be made. And then he would sit and watch the expression on his mother's face as she struggled to tell him she had to leave. One of her agents needed her and she was going to have to leave …. for them. These thoughts played over and over in his head. It was like sitting in a car on the train tracks waiting for the crash. He knew it would end badly for him.

"If she chooses them, I want you to hurt one of them," he said to Karen who was surprised that he had the guts to utter the suggestion.

"Oh believe me, sweetie, that will not be a problem," Karen smiled wickedly. She smiled to think that not only would she get to hurt the person who had ruined things for her, she was being asked to do it now by the son of the woman who sent her away. "Not a problem at all," she said again almost laughing.

* * *

**Thank you for waiting for this (short) update. It has proven a bit more challenging to write the psycho character without repeating what she's already done.**  
**Thanks to Ariel Hedgehog and Xenite who know these characters so well and make suggestions to move this along. Thanks to PolarDawn who has graciously taken on the task of catching my grammatical errors. And to everyone who took the time to read along and esp those who posts your comments/thoughts/ ideas. I appreciate them all. Keep them coming when you can. **


	7. Crazy Is As Crazy Does

**Chapter 7 Crazy Is as Crazy Does**

"**Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." ****Albert Einstein**

* * *

This was familiar territory for Karen. She had made plans twice before to get Helena to see that they were meant to be together. Both times though Helena had refused her advances, but that was because she was afraid of Myka, Karen decided. She had tried to be nice to Helena. She showed her from the very beginning that she would do anything for her. _If Myka were only out of the way, then Helena would see._ That sentence kept repeating in her head as she gathered everything she needed. She had the usually accoutrements that you need when holding someone against their will; tape, rope, bullets and her Glock. The vacant office where she planned to take Myka was stocked with food and water. Randall had rented her a new car after she convinced him someone might have seen her other one. That someone was Gloria. But Gloria believed Karen when she said she was an old college friend of Myka's in South Dakota for business. Karen was nothing if not believable and it was one of her most valuable assets.

She helped Randall pick out the perfect tie, as if it would really make any difference. She selected her own clothes; a pants suit with sensible shoes in case there was a struggle. She purposely chose a low cut blouse that would show off her breasts. She wished Randall good luck, and he noticed for the first time a coldness in her eyes that he had not seen before. For a brief moment, he hesitated and she saw it. She leaned in and kissed him and reminded him what a perfect couple they made.

He was to text her as soon as his mother got the call and she would keep him posted on her progress with Agent Wells. "I just need to explain everything to her," she said to him as if this were her only plan.

* * *

Randall was at the restaurant at 5:45 on the dot. He made sure the table was exactly where he wanted it; away from the window and surrounded by other tables. If there was going to be a scene, he wanted plenty of people to see it so his mother would at the very least, be embarrassed. He ordered a drink to calm his nerves; this was finally going to happen, he thought. All those years of being told how much she cared for him, all those lies would come out tonight. He was a mixture of hurt and anger and it tossed his insides upside down. He could feel the perspiration break out on his forehead and he dabbed it with his napkin. The restaurant started to fill with patrons who spoke softly at their tables. He sent Karen a text; _good luck_ - but she never responded. At six o'clock, he looked up to see his mother standing there in a pale pink suit, square pocketbook over her crooked arm, being escorted to the table by the maître d'. He looked at that face that he had loved all those years ago; the one that comforted him and brought him joy. She smiled when she saw him and he rose to greet her. "Mother," he said as he kissed her cheek. "It's good to see you, Randy," she said as she took her seat across from him. He ordered a second drink but she declined. She sipped the cold water in the goblet instead. "I hope I haven't kept you waiting," Mrs. Frederic said looking at her son. "That's okay," he replied and wasn't talking about the wait at the restaurant.

The waiter told them the specials and brought them bread. "How are you, Randy?" she asked smiling. "I'm good, Mother," he said not looking directly at her just yet. It was hard to keep his anger in the forefront when he was looking at that face. "Your book is doing well I see. I am sorry I missed the book signing. Did it go well?" she asked sipping the water. "It went very well. I wish you had been there," he answered picking up the menu to look at it. "I do too, Randy," she said to him. Irene knew her son must be very upset because she was getting an intense vibe from him. She would choose her words carefully, she thought and let him take the lead. She wanted this to be a nice dinner.

* * *

Karen waited in the dark for Gloria to come up the driveway. Then she slowly pulled out and followed her as if she was just arriving herself. If she couldn't get to Myka alone, she would have Myka come to her. And this woman was going to make that happen.

Gloria opened her car door and slid out, never noticing the car behind her now. She had promised herself she was going to start walking and simply had not found the time. She made that promise again as she walked around the front of the car and found it easier to lean on the front of it. She was about to get her medical bag out when there stood the woman she had met the night before.

"Gloria?" Karen said and the nurse was startled by her presence. Karen had done her homework and managed to get Gloria's name from the address. The nurse recognized Myka's friend. "Oh, dear. You sure got a habit of sneaking up on people," Gloria laughed and stopped in her tracks. "I do apologize. I was hoping to run into you here. Do you think you could help me surprise Myka?" Karen asked and Gloria looked at her. "I thought instead of just ringing the doorbell, it would be an even bigger surprise if Myka came out here and I ran up to her! Don't you think that would be better?" Karen asked and Gloria smiled politely. She couldn't put her finger on it but she was surprised that this was a friend of Myka's – almost as if it didn't fit.

"I know! Why don't you leave your bag in the car, tell Myka you forgot it and ask her to come get it for you. When she comes out, I'll be here and jump out!" Karen said fast and smiled broadly at the plump nurse. Gloria thought it sounded okay - although she didn't like sending Myka out to be scared. "Don't scare her too much now," Gloria said as she tried to get a handle on the feeling she was having. But Karen looked so excited to see her friend that Gloria didn't want to spoil it. She seemed so nice, if overly exuberant.

Gloria was having a much smaller dose of the same vibe Pete was having upstairs. But while Gloria was dismissing her feeling for being overly protective, Pete was blaming his on the massive headache he was having. He was glad that Gloria was on her way to see him.

Karen slipped behind the tree that was next to her car. Within minutes she heard the front door slam shut and heard Myka's footsteps approaching. She gingerly played with the Glock in her hand and felt the canister that she had taken from HG's room in her pocket. This was working out just fine. She waited for Myka to approach the nurse's car and stepped out into the dim light.

"Hello Myka – nice to see you again," Karen said smiling and Myka turned to see who it was. Myka's expression froze as she realized who she was seeing.

"How…but how….," was all Myka could utter because it simply did not make any sense. Not only should this woman not be there, she should not remember Myka. Her memory had been erased. Myka's mind was racing but Karen was one step ahead of her.

"If you call out to anyone, I will shoot you - and Myka...?" she said in a steel cold voice pointing the gun right at her, "nothing would give me more pleasure. Get in the car." Karen waived the gun at her. Myka looked at the house and then walked to Karen's car. "Put these on," she said to Myka and tossed her handcuffs. "Karen look, let's go inside…," Myka said but Karen cocked the gun. "Nothing would give me more pleasure that shooting you right here," Karen said again in a dark voice. "I won't ask you again," Karen said and motioned to the cuffs. Myka picked them up and put them on slowly. She tried to decide what her options were and what she should do next.

"If that nurse comes out Myka, I'll shoot her," Karen said and motioned for Myka to get in the passenger side. Myka moved more quickly now because she did not want Gloria coming out for the bag that she had sent her out for. The bag was in the back seat of Karen's car now. Myka's thoughts flashed as she sat there. Even if Gloria had seen her and could describe her to them, why would they ever suspect it was a woman who had by all accounts, been reprogrammed and relocated. She was never supposed to get come back.

"Don't worry, Agent Bering. I want them to know I took you," she said as if reading Myka's mind. "I want them to come and find your lifeless body. Then Helena and I can finally be together." Karen was reaching for the bottle she took from HG's room when Gloria called to Myka. Karen's back was to the woman and she looked right at Myka and raised the gun. Gloria was approaching them.

"Karen, no please," Myka said afraid she would make good on her promise to hurt the woman.

"Myka! You found your friend. Are you going somewhere?" Gloria asked as she squinted to see why Myka was in the car but her college friend was standing there motionless. She walked right up to them. "Are you okay?" she asked Myka who was about to assure her she was. Karen took a deep breath and turned around. The look on this woman's face startled Gloria but she was still moving towards Myka. She could tell she was in trouble. Karen pointed the gun at her and Gloria stopped.

"Thanks for all your help but you are no longer any use to me," she said in a menacing tone and pushed the woman hard to the ground. "Myka!" the nurse called out but by this time, Karen had opened the canister of HG's concoction and put in front of Myka's face. Myka tried to put her hands up but Karen forced them down. She sprayed the gaseous contents of the canister into Myka's face. She instantly inhaled the fumes and fought as hard as she could, but the deep sleep overtook her. She slumped over and Karen had to put the seat belt over her arms to hold her in place. Then she turned to see Gloria fighting to get up like a turtle on its back. She leaned down next to Gloria brazenly confident that the woman posed no threat.

"Tell Helena that I said thank you for this," she whispered in her ear and put the empty container in her hand and held it.

Gloria had seen many a crazy person in her years as a nurse but not one of them scared her like this woman did. Her touch was so cold, her eyes so black that Gloria felt she was soulless. She tried to get up but Karen stood up and put her foot on Gloria's shoulder and pushed her down hard again. Gloria hit her head on the tree root and banged her shoulder. She raised her head but the dizziness forced her back down. She saw the dark car pull away and prayed Helena would come out soon.

* * *

Gloria had been inside with HG after having asked Myka to retrieve her bag from the car. She figured Myka and her friend were outside catching up perhaps - so she waited patiently for her bag.

"How did Pete seem today," the nurse asked HG.

"He's not a very good patient at all," HG reported. "He insisted on coming to work today in spite of your orders to take it easy."

"Oh those are the worst kind of patients," Gloria teased because there wasn't a time when HG didn't balk at Gloria's advice. HG squinted her eyes at the woman in mock disapproval.

"Did you park by the Warehouse and walk, woman?" HG said because Myka was gone longer than it should take to get the bag out of the car.

"Maybe I forgot to pack it," Gloria laughed and said she would go check. She didn't want to spoil the surprise but did want to retrieve the medicine she brought for Pete.

* * *

Now Helena waited for both of them to return. "What the bloody hell," she said running out of patience.

Just as HG opened the front door, she heard Pete yell from the top of the stairs. His vibe had penetrated through his headache and now he was sure something was wrong. "Myka!" he yelled out and it commingled with Gloria's softer yells calling for HG. Helena ran out the front door, her eyes searching for Myka. She followed Gloria's voice and was surprised to see her so far from her car – on the ground. She rushed to the nurse and knelt beside her. "Did you fall? Where is Myka?" HG asked all in one breathe.

"That woman, Helena. That woman took her in the car," Gloria said in a frantic tone and out of breath. "What woman?" HG said looking around. "I don't know. She said she was a friend of Myka's. Oh Helena, I sent Myka out to her. I thought it was a surprise. I sent Myka right out to her," Gloria said realizing her part now.

HG was torn between wanting to hold onto the dear woman because she could see she was in distress and shaking the information out of her. Now Pete was on the front porch and Claudia was running toward HG. "Helena, she's armed, she took my medical bag and she gave me this," Gloria said opening up her hand. Her head fell back as her heart pounded furiously in her chest.

"Call 911," HG shouted to Claudia and took the empty canister from Gloria's hand. "Someone took Myka!" she yelled.

Helena held onto Gloria and Claudia wasn't sure if the tears were for the unconscious nurse or Myka, but she had rarely seen the Brit allow them to fall so openly. She had never seen her so tender as she stroked Gloria's head and told her to hold on, that help was on the way. The ambulance was there and they put Gloria on the stretcher.

"Does she have a heart condition? Is she on medications?" they asked the agents and no one could answer. How is that they knew so little about this woman who meant so much to them?

Gloria pulled at Helena's hand from the stretcher, barely alert. "Find her, Helena. Find Myka. That woman – she was tall, blonde, thin, darkest eyes. I only saw _CH_ on the license plate. She's bad, Helena, I can tell," Gloria forced the words out and then collapsed.

Helena let go of Gloria's hand as they took her in the ambulance. She stood there trying to figure out who had taken Myka and why? She ran back inside with Claudia and Pete who had already called Artie. Leena rushed in and together they tried to piece together what little they knew. HG was already upstairs and getting ready. She put on a long sleeve top, changed into cargo pants and filled the pockets with ammo. She looked down at the box on the desk and opened it. There were bottles with the noxious gas missing. Whoever had Myka had been in her room. She ran back downstairs and now Artie was there.

"I called the Regents and everyone is on alert," he said as HG approached them.

"Claudia, get on the computer and see if you can trace anything on Myka's phone. Hack into Univille's traffic camera system and see if you can find a car with _CH_ in the license. Pete, you can come with me," HG said as she made her way to the door.

"Helena? Where are you going? We need to get a lead before…..," Artie said and HG was in his face before he finished.

"Do not tell me to wait. Do not tell me you need a lead. I am not sitting here while someone has Myka. I am going out there to find her and so help me God, when I do I will kill them," HG said through gritted teeth.

"HG," Pete said realizing Helena was already losing it. This was not a good way for an agent, any agent to conduct an investigation.

Helena already knew what he would say. That fight was already going on inside her head. She could be off on a wild goose chase or she could be here helping them find clues. But it was killing her to think she was sitting somewhere when Myka was being taken away.

"Who would have done this?" Claudia said. Leena walked in from the dining room. "Here's a list of all the people we have been in touch with on the last dozen or so cases," she said handing them a list she printed.

"We need to see if there are any women that maybe we investigated or pissed off," Pete said looking at the list.

"What did Gloria say? Tall, thin, blonde with dark eyes?" Claudia asked HG as she pressed keys on her laptop but Helena was staring at her phone.

"I know who took her," HG said slowly and showed them her phone. The text read:

'_Helena, I have Myka. You can see her when I'm done with her. But first I need to break the spell you're under. Then you can be mine. Be a good girl and stay by your phone. I will call you soon to tell you where Myka is. I've waited so long for this Helena. I still love you, Karen.'_

* * *

**Thank you to those readers who really watch what I'm doing here and take interest in the characters -  
Thanks to Xenite who did not want Gloria hurt badly, Ariel Hedgehog who has a keen eye for the plot line.  
And to everyone who reads and comments - esp with this story - not my usual fluff so I appreciate the help.  
**


	8. Mother and Child Reunion

**Chapter 8 Mother & Child Reunion**

**"One is very crazy when in love."** **Sigmund Freud**

* * *

Myka jolted when she finally came to. The effects of the hydrogen sulfide gas were wearing off. She remembered HG saying it lasted about twenty minutes before it wore off, so this told her something about how far Karen had driven. Her vision was unfocused like someone put Vaseline over her glasses. She blinked hard and tried to get her bearings. She was on an air mattress and sat up slowly. The pain seared in her head but she was pretty sure it was from inside and not a wound she sustained …. Yet. Finally, she realized she was in a cell – like the kind you see in local police stations but instead of bars, it was like a chain linked fence. She stood up and held onto the single chair in the middle of the room. She could hear a machine motor running, the air was cool but the place was musty. Her vision was coming back and she walked over to the entry way that had a keyhole and no visible lock. She touched it and felt fire shoot through her body and knock her back to the floor. It was electrified.

"What are the chances of that?" Karen asked and Myka tried to sit up but was still reeling from the current that had entered her. It was like painful ice running through her veins. "Of all the deserted places, I found a bails bondsman's office, complete with generator and electrified cell. He must have been some bastard," Karen laughed from the chair she sat in outside Myka's prison.

"You're not going to get away with this," Myka heard herself say.

"Agent Bering, I can't begin to tell you all the reasons why I am getting away with this, but I'll give you the top ones. One, the other times I had Helena come to me, but you proved to be one lucky sonovabitch agent though and got to us. This time, I have you. Two, I'm going to let Helena know where you are soon, when I'm done with you," Karen said and that made Myka stiffen. "I've already texted her and that brainiac kid that works with you, what is her name? Doesn't matter ..Oh Claudia, yes. Well she's probably trying to trace the text as we chit chat. Guess what else this building has though?" she laughed as she stood up. As long as she was talking, Myka thought, she could get her strength back. "It has its own scrambler system. This guy thought of everything. Jesus, I wish I could meet him," Karen lamented. "And reason three is really special, Myka so listen carefully to this one cause it's a shocker. You ready? I have inside help," she said and now she was hysterical. Myka thought for a minute she could be making this entire story up but the longer she talked, the longer Myka had time to think.

"How did you get here?" Myka asked trying to keep her interested in talking.

"Uhm, were you listening? I had help. You see your boss, Mrs. Frederic, had my memory suspended and sent me to Florida as a tax accountant," she said sitting back down. "Do you have any idea how fucking hot it is in Tampa in July, Myka?" she asked seriously. "I had no recollection of who I was or what had happened and worst of all, no memory of Helena. I couldn't remember her, Myka," Karen said and Myka believed she was really looking for sympathy. "That must have been awful," Myka empathized. "But Karen, there were reasons and what you're doing here is part of the problem," she said softly.

"They made up those reasons and you know it," she said getting angry. "If I had had a little more time with Helena, but you kept spoiling it," Karen said directing her anger at Myka. "But not this time, Agent Bering. This time Helena will see you for what you really are and she will know I am the one for her," Karen said slowly.

"Helena will not like that you hurt her friends," Myka said getting up and sitting in the chair. "She will not be happy you hurt Gloria."

"Oh yes the nurse, I do owe her. She gave me this lovely bag filled with all kinds of things," Karen said as she opened Gloria's bag that she had taken from Gloria's car. "Seems she's authorized to carry around a lot of drugs." In fact, Karen was right. Gloria had received further training when she arrived to work with Dr. Calder and she was allowed to administer drugs to the agents when necessary. "What kinds of agents have their own little medical staff, I wonder?" Karen said.

* * *

Irene Frederic wiped the corners of her mouth with the cloth napkin and replaced it in her lap. The meal had been good but the conversation between her and her son had lagged. He talked about his book a little and how much he traveled but then he stopped. When she noticed him checking his watch again, she asked if he had to be somewhere. "No, I was expecting a call from my editor," he lied. It was 6:45 and the only text he had was Karen telling him to expect the call to his mother. But there was no call. She had sat there the whole time, quiet but attentive. He noticed as soon as he started talking, she immediately stopped whatever she was doing and looked at him. "Mother….," he started but didn't know where to go next. The quietness had allowed him to calm his feelings and part of him just longed to talk with her instead of participating in this ploy.

The waiter cleared the dishes and they ordered coffee. "I brought you something," Irene finally said and opened her pocketbook. She took out a soft velvet bag and handed it to Randall. He didn't take it immediately. He was not expecting her to give him something. "Take it, Randy," she smiled curiously at him. "It won't bite." He took the small bag and felt the weight of the object; it was heavy. "I don't know why I haven't given it to you before. Perhaps I just needed to hold onto it a bit longer," she said casting her eyes down at her lap. He knew what it was before it slipped out of the bag and into his hand. It was his father's watch that he remembered he always wore. Whenever Randall would ask him for something as a child, his father would make an exaggerated movement to look at the watch and say; "_Well Rand, let's see if it's time to have cookies. Why yes it is_," and he would laugh. No matter what Randall asked his father for, it always showed the right time on that watch. He was about to thank her for bringing it. Hell, he was about to forgive her just to be relieved of this burden he felt carrying the anger around all these years - when the muscular man in the dark suit came into the room and approached the table.

The man leaned down and whispered something in Mrs. Frederic's ear. "All of it," she said back to him and he stayed at her ear a minute longer. Randall knew this was it. She was hearing that one of her precious agents was in trouble. He refolded his napkin and put it on the table readying himself for the departure. "Does Mr. Kosan…?" he heard her ask and the gentleman whispered more in her ear. "Very well. Stay your post," she said and he left the table without looking at Randall. _Stay your post_ meant her security guard now stood by the maître'd with his hand on his gun. The news should have explained the terrible vibe she had been experiencing and yet, it didn't seem to dissipate. In fact, if anything, she noticed a spike in its intensity. Then she looked at Randall.

"Is there something you want to tell me, Randy?" she asked staring directly at him.

* * *

Karen looked through the bag she took from Gloria's car. "Wow, that woman does not travel light. Oxycodone, Celebrex, antibiotics and oh, what do we have here?" Karen asked and took out a syringe. "Here's a little something if I find you uncooperative," she smiled and her eyes flashed her anger. Myka knew she had to keep her engaged.

"Why don't you just tell Helena how you feel?" Myka said.

"She knows how I feel, you idiot. How could she not after all the trouble I have gone through all these times?" Karen asked and Myka sensed she was getting tenser. If Karen wanted HG there but wanted to do something to Myka first, she didn't have much time.

"Sit in that chair, Myka," Karen ordered. "Experiment time!" Myka sat down in it. It was bolted to the floor and had restraints on the arms. "You're wasting your time, Karen. The agents will know…," Myka tried to keep her talking but she was only agitating her host. Karen knew Myka could only cuff one hand and she would have to do the other. She waited for Myka to do it and then shut off the electricity to the cell and opened the door. It wasn't even locked.

"We're going to have some fun before we call Helena. I want to pay you back for all the trouble you caused me," Karen said reaching down. In an instant, Myka grabbed her arm, knocking the Glock out of her hand and sent it flying across the floor. But Karen had the advantage of two hands, and an awakened rage. She grabbed Myka's arm and shoved it into the restraint but before she could lock it, Myka pulled her legs up and pushed against Karen's groin and sent her flying backwards. If the electrify had still been on, Karen would have been jolted unconscious. Myka pulled at the other cuff to get lose but Karen was behind her and grabbed Myka in a choke hold. "Not this time, Bering. Your luck has run out," and Myka felt the sharp stab of the needle in her shoulder and the pressure as Karen pushed the hypodermic instrument into her. The sedative took an immediate effect and Myka slumped over in the chair. Karen was winded from the struggle but she hurried to put both cuffs on Myka and now, taped her legs to the chair.

"_Your friend is giving me trouble. This is not going to go well for her, Helena. You need to pick smarter friends_," Karen typed furiously into the phone.

* * *

Helena jumped when the sound of the incoming text came.

The Regents had authorized whatever force was necessary. Mr. Kosan had told Artie he would get word to Mrs. Frederic. Security was sent to her immediately in case there was an accomplice. They knew Karen had to have had help – there was simply no way she could have undone the procedure on her own. They had no way of knowing that her accomplice was sitting across from their beloved Caretaker.

Mr. Kosan told Artie they wanted to take Karen Carson alive because they needed to know who was helping her. Helena gave no indication that she would comply with that.

Vanessa called from the hospital and told Artie that Gloria was okay. Her shoulder was strained and they would put it in a sling but her heart was okay and she only suffered a bump on the head. Helena didn't react when Artie told her. She kept seeing the image of the dirty footprint on the nurse's white uniform. Artie kept glancing at Helena. For as long as he knew her, he knew she took matters into her own hands. "Keep an eye on her, Pete," Artie said and Pete understood. Helena grabbed people if they bumped into Myka without apologizing for being rude. And she was withdrawn, even though she was right there with them. Leena could see the change in her aura and cautioned Artie that something was going on with her. "This is bad," Leena said to him.

"_I need to see you_," HG typed back and Claudia kept trying to track the signal. Pete had a map out and was looking to see where Karen could have driven to. Mr. Kosan was very concerned that Karen had inside help and asked Leena to review any other agents they had dealt with recently who would have even known about Karen. The only people who knew though were Mrs. Frederic and the Regents. She had told HG that it was '_taken care of_' but never gave the details.

* * *

Now the Sage sat in the restaurant knowing that she had failed again and now Myka was in grave danger. And somehow, her son was connected to all of this.

"Is there something you want to tell me, Randy?" she asked again. "I'm right here, we can talk. You can tell me anything."

Randy looked up at her. She wasn't leaving; she was staying right there with him. "Mother…," he started and remembered that he had to tell Karen not to hurt anyone. He grabbed his phone to send a text. Irene watched him and didn't say a word – she knew he was doing something important.

"_Do not hurt them. Everything is okay here_," he typed furiously. A second later, his phone beeped.

"_Too late_," Karen's text read.

* * *

**Thanks for the feedback/comments ... this is a more complicated story line than I usually do so if it's off track, not going well, lackluster,  
low in thrills and chills ... I hope you'll point that out and tell me.**

**As always, thanks to those readers who know these characters so well and share their thoughts.  
**


	9. You Aways Hurt the One You Love

**Chapter 9 You Always Hurt the One You Love**

"**Everybody's a mad scientist, and life is their lab. We're all trying to experiment to find a way to live, to solve problems, to fend off madness and chaos." ****David Cronenberg**

* * *

Helena knew that if she let on too much, she would be slowed down by her worst enemy right now; protocol. She waited there while the others scrambled to get any information, but her mind was already planning on what she would do when she got there. Artie was right about one thing – she had to stop and think. She went back upstairs and changed, removing her cargo pants with pockets filled with ammo. She wouldn't need it. She realized that the woman who had Myka would not allow her anywhere near them armed so what was the use? She would have to use what would work with this woman – so she changed into comfortable, more form fitting clothes. She would need to distract Karen, and she knew what that would take.

When Claudia finally locked onto a traffic light feed that showed the car with a partial license plate of 'CH', Pete grabbed the map of the neighborhood. It was a business area on the outskirts of Univille. It was a row of warehouses and short office buildings that were supposed to bring business into downtown Univille, but were belly-up in the down turn of the economy. The few businesses that were there at the beginning had abandoned their properties.

Mr. Kosan notified the special ops security force that assisted the Warehouse Agents on any assignment such as this. Helena walked directly over to him, the man who her boss' boss reported to and shared her thoughts.

"I know this woman. It is I she wants and she will hurt Myka terribly if she does not get me. I can take her, I promise you that," HG said in a tone that Mr. Kosan had never heard her use before.

"You must have back up, Agent Wells. I know you are concerned about Agent Bering as we all are, but we must follow protocol," he said and lost HG at the first word. Mr. Kosan thought this was a discussion, but HG was merely informing him of the plan, the only plan that would work.

Pete was glad Helena didn't say anything else and just got in the black SUV with them. "We're all worried, HG. But we'll get her," Pete tried to assure Helena.

"Oh, I know I will," she said and Pete wasn't sure he heard her correctly.

* * *

Once again, Myka regained consciousness after being drugged. She remembered the stinging pain in her shoulder, the injection site where Karen pushed down hard on the needle. She checked to see if she had done anything else to her while she was asleep but the only thing now was her limbs were all restrained.

"Oh good, you're awake. You know Myka, my guess is Helena is on her way here if those friends of yours are half as smart as they think they are. I don't have much time. I have to get ready for her," Karen said and she stood in front of Myka with an insulated cable. Myka tried to see where it started and realized it was attached to her chair, the metal chair she was sitting in.

"Let's play a game. I call it; _guess the right answers_, Myka. It goes like this. I ask you a question and you give me the right answer or this happens," Karen said and Myka saw her place the other end of the cable against the electrified fence of the cell wall. Myka yelled out in pain as the electrical current shot through the wire and instantly shocked her as it reached the chair. Karen was going to electrocute her….. slowly.

"What is Helena's favorite color?" she asked and Myka tried to decide if there was a right answer or was this just her way of killing her.

"Blue," Myka answered and the realized the mistake she made. Her body automatically stiffened because it knew what was coming and the next jolt made her feel as if her arms and legs were on fire.

"See Myka? Why would you think you know her favorite color? Are you trying to make me angry by telling me you know but I don't?" Karen hissed at her. Myka finally realized that the woman was having a psychotic episode now that she was getting to act out her fantasies.

"You're right, I don't know," Myka whispered trying to breathe.

"She tried to tell me you were nothing more than friends, Myka. Did she tell you that? She said you were partners and friends but nothing more. But I read your texts on her phone. I knew she was lying. That's why I had to hurt her, Myka. I hurt Helena to teach her a lesson. You cannot lie to people who love you. I taught Helena that," Karen said thinking back to the last time she and HG were alone. Myka shook her head so that Karen would know she was listening. Any little thing could set this woman off now.

"Are you thirsty, Myka?" Karen asked in a sinister tone and Myka's heart pounded in her chest. If she let Myka get wet, the next charge would be lethal. Karen touched the wire to the cage again and the shock made Myka pass out.

* * *

The cars pulled up outside the office buildings. Windows had been blackened so no lights shone through. They assembled downstairs and the head of security spoke to Artie. Helena listened carefully to their plan and then she explained what they were going to do. They could surround the building all they wanted, but she was going in, unarmed with a transmitter so they could hear what was happening. Helena would give them information ….like if Myka needed an ambulance or worse. She was going to get Myka out first, and then they could come in. But Myka's safety was the priority and no one was to deviate from that plan.

"Helena, don't do this alone," Pete said and grabbed HG's arm. "For Myka's sake," he added when he felt that her arm was as stiff as a steel rod. She looked at him but never said a word.

"_I'm here and I need to see you_," she texted to Karen.

"_Good, I've been waiting_," was the response.

* * *

"Randy, something is wrong, I can feel it and I need you to tell me what it is," Irene said reaching her hand across the table to her son.

"Why aren't you leaving?" he asked and now she was certain that he knew something.

"Where would I go, Randy?" she asked him and he knew from her tone, she suspected he did.

"To your precious agents. The ones you always go to," he said getting agitated.

"Randy, I am here with you. But you must tell me if you know anything about what is going on. People are in danger, Randy, serious danger," Irene pleaded.

"She wasn't supposed to harm anyone," he blurted out and saw the look in her eyes.

"Randy, this is a very dangerous woman. How do you know her?" Irene asked keeping her opened hand there although his were under the table.

"Why shouldn't I know her?" he said and his voiced rose. People looked but didn't stare. "Aren't I your '_one'_? Shouldn't I know all about your work, Mother? The things and the people that kept me from you all those years?" Mrs. Frederic pulled back into her seat and withdrew her hand. She tried to piece together how her son would have gotten to Karen Carson.

* * *

The agents surrounded the building and Pete and Artie accompanied HG up to the second floor. The reinforced glass windows made it impossible to shoot even a tear gas canister in. They had no choice but to let Helena go inside. Helena's phone rang and it was Karen telling her that she had to come through the door alone and that if she didn't, Myka would pay the price.

"I promise you, I am coming in alone," HG said in a deep voice. Claudia set her up with an ear bud so that she could hear them and a voice transmitter in her bracelet.

"HG, please take your Tesla at least," Pete begged but Helena wouldn't hear of it.

There was an outer entry way before the inner office where Karen was and she pressed the button to let Helena in. She watched on the security camera to make sure no one followed her in. There on the screen was the image of the woman she wanted, the one she had gone through all of this for. She touched the screen and then buzzed Helena in the second door. Karen stared at her when she walked in. She wanted to run to her and embrace her, but she couldn't be sure that Myka Bering still didn't have a hold on Helena still.

"Helena," Karen said and the sound of her voice sent shivers down HG's spine. She remembered that voice whispering in her ear as this woman's hands roamed over her body. HG looked at Myka who was slumped over in the chair. She steadied herself at the sight of her partner. It would do no good to rush this.

There are only a couple of things agents are instructed to say when they are facing a criminal on enemy territory, unarmed. This was _not_ one of them: "Let her go and I promise I won't kill you," was the first thing Helena said.

"Kill me? Helena! Think for a minute. If anyone is going to get killed….," Karen said waving the gun in one hand and the electric cable in the other, " …do you really think it's going to be me?" she laughed. "Your friend here has about one last time before her brain is completely fried and if you push me, Helena, I swear I will do it and let you watch her die," Karen sneered at Helena.

"Take your clothes off," Karen said and HG snapped her head to look at her. "I want to make sure you're not concealing anything," Karen said. "Open your blouse," she said waiving the gun. HG opened the buttons to expose herself. "Turn around and let me see you're not wearing a wire or concealing a weapon."

Helena turned around to show Karen she had neither. If she had concealed a weapon, it would have shown through her pants. Karen was satisfied that HG was unarmed and enjoyed her first look at her.

"I don't want her here. I only want you," Helena said to Karen and it was the first thing that made sense. "If you don't kill her, we have a better chance. Kill her and they're come in here blasting their guns. They won't listen to me then," HG said almost nonplus.

_Wasn't Helena supposed to gain her trust? Wasn't she supposed to win her over_? This is what Claudia thought as she listened to HG's voice through the speaker outside.

"She needs medical attention. Let her go," HG said again and Karen looked at her trying to decide if Helena meant anything she was saying. "You went through all this trouble to get to me and now you're going to spend it torturing Myka?" HG finally said and it made Karen think.

The plan was that if HG could talk Karen into letting Myka go, an agent dressed up as an EMT would come in to remove her and when he had the chance, he would help HG subdue Karen.

"We can't carry her out. Let the EMT come in and get her and then we'll be alone. They'll see I'm not harmed and will give us some time," HG said to Karen.

HG's heart was pounding in her chest as she glanced at Myka. She could see burn marks on her arms where the current embraced her and she could see her chest moving even if it was shallow. HG walked closer to Karen and now Karen could smell her perfume. Pete had complained about it in the car but stopped when HG shot him a look. He didn't get that Helena was readying herself for this woman.

"I smelled your fragrance on your clothes when I was in your room," Karen said and HG's stomach turned to knots to think she was there, touching her things.

Helena walked to the cage where Myka sat lifeless. "Let me get her out of here," HG said and Karen realized she was missing out on time with this woman whom she adored. She pushed buttons on the table and the electricity to the cell cut off. HG stepped through the door and turned to Karen. "Drop the cable," HG said and Karen did. She slowly bent down and pulled the connected wire loose, just in case she got any ideas. She pulled at the tape gently on Myka's legs and pushed at the locks on the cuffs. The electrical blast had fried the locks and they opened easily. She saw the red marks that they had left on Myka's arms and knew she must be in a great deal of pain. The anger swelled in Helena and she did everything she could from turning around and charging this woman.

"Just let me call them to come and get her," HG said putting her hands up in the air before reaching for the phone. Karen liked the gesture of surrender more than she could even admit. Helena was giving in. She was surrendering to her and she liked it. She didn't need Myka anymore.

"OK but tell them if they come in armed, I'll shoot you Helena," Karen warned.

HG slowly put her hand in her pocket as Karen watched with the gun aimed at her. She pulled out her cell and pressed the first number. "Myka needs medical help. I want you to come and get her and then leave me alone here," HG said on the phone to Pete. They had already heard HG's plan and the EMT slash agent was already waiting outside the office. The plan was in place. HG was to open the door; he would come in with the stretcher. If he could subdue Karen then, he would. If he could not, he was to pass HG a gun and she would take care of things.

That was their plan. It was not Helena's plan.

She put her arms under Myka and pulled her up and turned to Karen. "Just let me put her in the outside office so they can get to her," HG said as she walked Myka to the door. Everything was happening so fast that Karen didn't realize she was following HG's plan. "I'll have the gun at your back, Helena. Don't make me shoot you," Karen all but pleaded.

The agent dressed as the EMT came through the door when Karen buzzed him in. Helena was supposed to move as far into the waiting room as possible. But she stood back, still in the doorway. Karen kept her gun aimed at HG and stood behind her. He took Myka's body and put her on the stretcher. With Karen armed and behind the door, he did not have a clear shot at her. He put the straps on Myka and slid the gun down the length of her body under the blanket. Helena was supposed to nonchalantly take it. Instead, she pushed the end of the stretcher when he opened the door to leave. He assumed she took it. He pulled Myka out and Pete rushed to her to see how she was.

"What the frack?" Claudia said through tears as she felt the gun at Myka's leg. "She didn't take it. She didn't take it," she called to Artie. Then Pete picked up the transmitter bracelet and ear plug that HG had put on the stretcher as well. She was unarmed and uncommunicative.

"Dammit, Wells!" Artie said more furious than he had ever been at her.

* * *

"Randy, it is not the agents that take me away from you," Irene was saying. "I was chosen for this job a long time ago. I don't stay away to hurt you. I am protecting you. It's a dangerous job," she explained to him.

"I don't care. You should have been there for me. At a time when I needed you the most, you weren't there," Randall said and his tone was pure anger. "I don't want to hear your excuses."

"So you want to punish me, Randall?" she said calling him by his full name.

"Yes," he spat back.

"Randy, you're not punishing me. You're punishing a young agent who has nothing to do with this. You're endangering all of them because you are angry at me. You are assisting a very sick woman, Randy who is incapable of really loving you," she said guessing that her son had been played.

"She loves me," he countered.

"Randy, we put this woman away because of her actions towards Agent Wells. She's obsessed with her and will stop at nothing to get at her. She severely hurt her the last time she kidnapped her."

Randall couldn't decide if his mother was telling the truth. There was something about Karen that made him uneasy in spite of her talented love making. _Had she used him_?

"Why aren't you rushing to help them, Mother?" he asked.

"Because I am here helping you," Mrs. Frederic said. Her heart ached with pain to think her own son had helped someone hurt Myka. To her, Myka Bering was the agent other agents should aspire to become and yet housed one of the purest hearts she had ever met. She knew Myka would put the job before herself and she feared what Karen Carson would do to her.

She also feared for Helena. She knew her most difficult agent would not play by the rules. She could have told Mr. Kosan that even when HG agreed to his plan, she had no intention of following it. She knew that this would shock even Artie and the consequences could be staggering. But she knew how HG felt about Myka and what happened the last time someone hurt HG's loved one.

"Randy, I will tell you this before we leave. I am sorry I was not there for you each time you needed me. We were both dealt a blow when your father died and I had to pick up the pieces as best I could. I tried to do a better job of protecting you than I did your father. The only way to do that was to be absent some of the time," she said to him. "You're a grown man, Randall. You are out in the world realizing your talents. The time to mourn your imperfect childhood has passed. You can hold it against me all your life if you choose, Randy but I will not allow you to make others pay," Irene said firmly.

"I'll call her off," Randall said and grabbed for his phone. "She'll listen to me."

"Son, as intelligent as you are, you were blinded by this anger. This woman was never going along with your plan. She was using you to carry out hers. And God help us all if she is successful this time," Mrs. Frederic said.

"I will do what I can for you, Randy, but there are some people who will want to talk to you," Irene said rising from the table and leaving. She knew Randall would follow her and prayed her security guard would not have to assist.

* * *

Helena moved back into the room and went right over to the cell and grabbed the cable. Karen was not sure what she was doing but she kept her distance and the gun on Helena. HG pulled at the cord and shoved it into the keyhole of the front entry door. She pulled back at the insulation cover and wrapped it around the doorknob.

"Turn it back on," she instructed Karen.

Karen smiled with delight to think Helena had now made it impossible for her fellow agents to barge in. They would get electrocuted as soon as they touched the metal door.

"Oh I like the way your mind works," Karen said to her. "Keeping your friends out?" Karen smiled salaciously as if this was foreplay. Helena turned around and looked at her with the slightest smile coming across her lips.

"Keeping _you_ in," she said.


	10. Hell Hath No Fury Like Helena

The challenge with writing a story like this one is delivering on the suspense you have built in the previous chapters.  
So faithful readers, if you find this falls flat, short or just does not deliver, I will do what I can to fix it. Your comments  
and feedback are always considered and appreciated. Ask the reader who saved Gloria. :-)

* * *

**Chapter 10 Hell Hath No Fury Like Helena**

**"La vengeance est un plat qui se mange froid" (Revenge is a dish best served cold)**

* * *

If Randall had been in the room with HG, he might have been able to tell her that Karen enjoyed things rough – and that would have explained why the menacing look on Helena's face was actually a turn on for Karen. She not only liked it rough …..she liked it insane, and HG was as close to that border as you could get without having to show your passport. Seeing Myka hurt and allowing this woman to take one more breath was inconceivable to Helena. It took every ounce of control she had seeing Myka like that, then touch her but not hold onto her as she got her out safely. When she helped her outside she tried to assess her injuries. She gently touched her foot before the agent took her away on the stretcher and prayed Myka would somehow know from that one slight ministration how much she loved her. The more she looked at her bruised body, the more the anger churned inside.

Helena knew from the start she was going to handle this her way. The Regents had their chance, Mrs. Frederic had her chance. If Karen had come back and hurt one of them, HG would have gone along with _their _plan. But she returned and hurt Myka …. And there was no room in HG's heart for forgiveness when you hurt someone she loved.

* * *

"Who helped you?" HG said to Karen walking towards her. She had only closed one button on her blouse and Karen's eyes were drawn to the exposed skin.

"Getting right to business are we, Helena? Or are you just impressed with how much I did to get to you again?" Karen smiled.

She was caught between not trusting Helena and being excited by HG taking charge. She would have given anything for Helena to rip her clothes off and take her right there on the cold, dirty floor while Myka was being whisked away in an ambulance.

Myka was not being taken anywhere though. She was outside fighting the EMT's. Fully conscious now, she immediately asked where Helena was. She had passed out from the last jolt that Karen had administered and remained only semi aware of what was going on. She knew the protocol – get the injured agent out and in the process, obtain a weapon in the exchange. When she heard Claudia yell out that HG had not taken the gun, she pushed the EMT's hand out of her way with what little strength she had.

"PETE!" she yelled and he was at her side in an instant. "Mykes, please…" he said but she begged him. "Please Pete, don't let them take me. I'm okay. I have to be here. She's not going to listen to anyone…," Myka said and Pete knew she was right.

* * *

Helena knew the signs of heightened arousal when she saw them. Karen's pupils were dilating and she took deep breaths. The pulse in her neck accelerated and she licked her lips in anticipation. As a highly trained agent, Helena was supposed to talk her into surrendering because there was no way her plan was going to work. HG was supposed to remind her of the facts; she was surrounded and eventually the generator would stop and her fortress would be defenseless. But Helena did not want her to surrender – she wanted her to resist.

"I thought you were gone forever," she said to Karen who still had the gun in her hand but she wasn't retreating. "So to whom do I owe this debt of gratitude for bringing you back to me?" HG asked because she needed to know who the accomplice was. Perhaps it was because Helena really was going to repay that debt that she sounded so believable. Karen was letting her come closer. "Randall Grayson – your boss' son," Karen said.

"I'll have to thank him properly when I meet him," HG said smiling and promised it would be the thing she did after making sure Myka was okay.

Helena was moving in and touching her blouse going right past the gun that she could have grabbed. "I could still shoot you," Karen said but her voice was weaker.

"But where is the fun in that?" HG said almost pouting as she let her finger run the length of Karen's lip down to her chest. "I'm more fun when I'm not injured, I can promise you that," HG whispered leaning in more. Any one of those moments was an opportunity for HG to subdue her but she didn't.

* * *

Claudia was busy at the keyboard typing in directions to the remote robot that would carry a tiny camera through the air duct system in the ceiling. With any luck, she would find an opening that would allow them the most visibility. The agents jimmied the first door open and pushed through but just as Pete was about to touch the doorknob of the second door, Claudia yelled in his earpiece to stop. The camera was through and she could see the wire attached to the door. Myka had told them about the cable attached to the electrified chain linked cell and they assumed Karen had now attached it to the door.

"Can you get a lock onto HG?" Artie asked Claudia, but she told him not yet but she could hear voices.

* * *

Mrs. Frederic was in her black car with Randy next to her. She was briefed on the phone and when they arrived at the scene, she told Randall to stay in the car. She could have berated herself for the mistakes she made that led up to this, but she knew there was time for that later.

By this time, they knew that the GPS device that was planted inside of Karen was now in the pocketbook of a coworker. So when the reports of her whereabouts came in, it looked as if Karen was still going about her normal routine. A doctor had removed the chip at the request of her son, and of course, the Regents would want to know how Randall had gotten that information. Since Mrs. Frederic was so instrumental in putting Karen away, she had her file in her house. Randall must have seen it and read it and took the information to find Karen. Mr. Kosan was only slightly relieved when he found out Randall was not trying to destroy the Warehouse but cautioned Irene nonetheless that immediate action would have to be taken.

* * *

Myka was sitting up on the stretcher now as the EMT tried to work around her moving body. "What do you mean she does not have any way to communicate to us?" Myka yelled at Artie. "How do we know what's going on in there?"

"Claudia's got a live feed in there now, Myka. We'll know soon enough what the situation is," Artie assured her.

"She's got Gloria's medical bag in there. She could be shooting HG up with drugs," Myka said concerned. The paramedic tried desperately to keep her still as he wrapped up her wrists.

* * *

This was like nothing Karen expected and yet it was what she hoped for. She knew she was right about Myka. Once she was out of the picture, HG was a different person. Then she remembered Myka really wasn't gone, just out of the room. She pushed Helena back and took aim with the gun.

"If you are lying to me, Helena, I swear I will kill you," Karen said pulling herself back from the seduction. "Then kill me," HG said as she put her hand up to the woman's face. "We don't have much time though, Karen. They won't let us stay in here forever. We need to use our time wisely before you take me out of here as your hostage," HG said and Karen was impressed that she had thought out their plan. "But for now, please don't point that gun at me," HG asked but she never made a move for the gun.

"If you're good, I'll lock it up," Karen said and that was Helena's opening.

"I didn't come here to be _good_, Karen," HG whispered and brushed Karen's lips.

Karen opened the drawer to the desk and put the gun in it and locked it. "Now that's much better," HG cooed and walked away. She caught sight of Gloria's medical bag and her anger surged to think this woman had knocked her to the ground and stepped on her. She glanced nonchalantly at the ceiling to see if Claudia had gotten a camera in yet. She knew it was what they would do.

"Maybe we should just get out of here," Karen said because she didn't want to wait to savor the delight that was HG.

"We can't leave yet, Karen," HG turned with a wicked smile on her face. "You've been a very bad girl," HG said to her and Karen's knees nearly gave out. This was the hottest thing she had ever experienced in her life. "What will you do to me?" Karen asked thinking she was playing along in the foreplay. "Well, I won't go easy on you, if that's what you mean," HG said sincerely.

Karen came up behind her and put her hands on HG's shoulders. Helena believed with her heart and soul she had full control of the situation. Why wouldn't she? In all her experiences, there had not been a man or woman who did not eventually give into her charms. And she was a good agent. She knew how to pace a set-up to entrap the culprit. HG was also aware however that seducing a sociopath could be tricky.

* * *

"_Got a lock_," is what Claudia said into her microphone that went to all the agents' earpieces. Myka had one too after Artie promised he'd give her one if she would just sit still for the EMT's. She moved gingerly off the stretcher with Artie's help to sit near Claudia's laptop. The black and white screen showed the camera's view – first of the door and then further into the room on HG.

"What is she doing?" Artie asked as he watched an unarmed Karen put her hands on HG's shoulders. _Why wasn't she subduing her_? "What the frack?" Claudia asked as HG turned to her captor and gently pushed Karen's blonde hair off her shoulder.

"Is she insane?" Artie yelled and a couple of the agents pulled their earpieces out because of the volume. "Yeah, he's a yeller," Pete said to them.

"Arthur," Mrs. Frederic said from behind them. "Let's trust Agent Wells knows what she's doing," the Sage suggested.

"When hell freezes over," escaped from Artie's lips before he could stop the words.

"Then get your coat, Arthur," Mrs. Frederic said back.

* * *

"Let's not waste any more time with this toying. We both know what you want," HG said to Karen in a low, sexy voice. She pulled the jacket over Karen's shoulders and pushed it off. The she boldly reached for Karen's blouse and pulled it free of her pants. "Oh yes!" Karen yelled as HG pushed her down in the chair. Helena leaned down and pulled on the button-down blouse and in an instant, ripped it open. The sound of buttons flying sent Karen reeling and her body started to move involuntarily in anticipation.

Pete looked around slowly at the agents as they stood ready with assault weapons. Every single one of them with an earpiece who could hear what was going on now had a wide eyed expression. For some of them, it was like listening to the soft porn channel.

HG moved into Karen's face, grabbing the sides of it as if she was going to kiss her but then pulled away just as Karen pushed her lips out.

"Oh my God, you are killing me here," Karen said as the unsatisfied hunger built.

"Not yet," HG said and Karen misunderstood her.

Helena reached down for the roll of tape that Karen had used to secure Myka. She opened her legs and put them on either side of Karen's and held her tightly. "What are you doing?" Karen said caught between excitement and concern. "I'm going to make you beg," HG said in her ear and pulled out a strip of tape. "Put your arms down," HG instructed and Karen did. "Are you sure we have time for this?" she asked HG because parts of her body were on fire now. "They can't get in remember?" the Brit said as she put one piece of tape around each of her wrists. It was hardly enough to keep Karen secured so she believed it to be part of the foreplay that was building to an incredible, she hoped, climax.

* * *

The Warehouse agents looked at the screen as they watched Helena move slowly and back away from a slightly secure Karen in the chair.

"Why isn't she letting them in?" Artie said because there was nothing logical about what he was watching. "She will do inventory for a year; for ten years," he yelled. Myka watched the screen. Her heart pounded in her chest. She knew exactly what HG was doing and she didn't know whether to pray that she was successful or not. She had seen Helena take things into her own hands before but this was by far, the worst.

* * *

"Now what?" Karen asked in a breathless voice.

"Now, I repay you," HG said standing in front of her captured woman.

"For going to all this trouble?" Karen said still believing HG should appreciate this.

"First, for hurting Gloria," HG said as she pulled her head back and came down with force onto Karen's forehead. The injured Karen shot back in the chair from the contact. It still took her a second to decide that perhaps that wasn't part of the foreplay. "I saw your dirty footprint on that innocent woman," HG said as Karen struggled to get out of the chair. She pulled hard at the duct tape to get free. "When I get out of this…," Karen was yelling.

"Oh I'm planning on you getting out. I can't _wait_ for you to get out. I can't make this look like self-defense if you're tied up in a chair," HG said as her lips curled up over clenched teeth. Karen struggled and pulled the tape off one arm, then the other. She shot out of the chair filled with anger that she had been duped. She sprung at Helena with all her might but HG was ready. She stepped out of the way and Karen fell into the chain linked fence. The shock sent Karen flying backwards onto the floor.

"I will kill you!" she shouted at HG but Helena did not move.

"Or die trying," HG goaded her.

Karen turned to see if she could make it to the desk to get the gun but HG assured her: "I'll kill you before you get there."

Anger spewed forth as Karen could not believe Helena was betraying her..…again. She got up and lunged at Helena who bent down allowing Karen to go over her back. HG stood up and slammed the woman into the floor. Pure adrenalin helped Karen get up on her knees slowly.

"Did you hear your precious Myka scream in pain?" Karen said and it was the fuel to the fire. Helena bent down and grabbed her by her blouse. She pulled her straight up from the floor with sheer force.

"And now this is for hurting Myka," HG said before throwing her with all her might across the room. Karen fell hard to the ground and stayed there but HG was nowhere near done with her. Helena looked like a woman possessed.

* * *

Myka watched the screen. "For God's sake Artie, do something. Please do something!" Myka yelled at him. He stared at the scene that was now unfolding. Truth be told, he never knew how to control HG; he only knew how to dish out the consequence. He turned to Mrs. Frederic.

"Get me an audio feed in there," she said to Claudia. Claudia jumped to face the screen and opened the microphone on the drone. "Agent Wells!" came the Sage's voice into the inner room but went unanswered.

* * *

Helena picked the stunned woman up and shoved her back into the chair. She was dazed from the shock and the fall but tried to get up. Helena pushed her back into the chair again and grabbed the tape. She wrapped it around Karen's chest before she could move and then quickly retaped her wrists. Karen struggle against the restraints but the chair was bolted into the floor and she could not get free.

"I should have killed her while I had the chance," Karen screamed and HG stopped. She knew this insane woman would make it her life's work to get at Myka. They thought they had taken care of her twice and twice they failed. Helena was not going to take the chance of them failing a third time.

"When I get out of here, I am going to hurt you, Helena!" Karen screamed.

"When I get out of here," Helena bent down behind her and whispered in her ear, "I am going to take care of Myka. I am going to nurse her back to health. I will touch her and make sweet love to her as she will to me. And nowhere in any corner of my mind will there be a memory of you."

Helena knew that psychological torture could be as damaging as physical torment and she wanted Karen to be constantly reminded that she would never have what she wanted. Karen screamed out in pain at the thought that she would never have Helena.

Myka was not sure what HG had said to Karen but she watched as Helena stepped away from her and yanked the electrified cable from the door. It almost didn't look like Helena – her face was taut, her expression dark. She walked back to Karen and Myka was afraid Helena was pushed to her limit now and was going to kill her. Karen's eyes widened when she saw Helena return to her with the live wire.

HG took her phone out and pressed the button on her speed dial. Myka thought it might be to her but Mrs. Frederic's phone beeped. She opened it up.

"Yes Agent Wells?" Mrs. Frederic said. Myka could not make out what Helena was saying but she was yelling in a threatening tone. She did hear …."Or so help me God, I will do it!"

"Helena, please no," Myka said, tears welling up.

HG was looking back at the camera….waiting.

"OK, Agent Wells. You have my word," Mrs. Frederic finally said.

Myka watched on the screen as Helena dropped the cable, turned and opened the door.

* * *

Fire away ...


	11. Consequences of Their Actions

**Chapter 11 Consequences of Their Actions**

"**There's always some aftermath, good and bad, makes-me-happy or makes-me-unhappy, for anything we choose to do." Richard Bach**

* * *

Pete grabbed Helena as she came out of the room and the agents stormed in. They could hear Karen screaming incoherently for Helena.

"Where is Myka?" was the first thing HG said. "She's out here," Pete told her, and now she realized Myka probably saw or heard everything. She had hoped to spare Myka that. She wasn't sure if she was protecting Myka or herself. Sometimes you don't want the person who loves you to see your dark side…. In action. Claudia rushed up to hug HG who thanked her for all her help.

Myka had agreed that if they let her stay until Helena was out and okay, she would go to the hospital with the paramedics. Artie had helped her back onto the stretcher, and that is where she was when Helena came out. She ran to Myka and hugged her gently, all the time saying; "I'm so sorry, darling. I'm so sorry." Myka embraced her even though it hurt to move her wrists. "I'm okay, Helena. We're okay," Myka said softly.

* * *

Mrs. Frederic slipped into the back seat of her car where Randall had been waiting. _Where to begin_, she thought. She had a long night ahead of her and the question was who would she meet with first?

"Is everyone ok?" Randall asked because she had been gone some time. "People were hurt, Randy. This woman is very ill, son. Very dangerous," Mrs. Frederic said. Just then the agents took Karen out in handcuffs. She was still yelling out for Helena and issuing threats. "Mother, I had no idea…" Randall tried to say but his mother silenced him. "I know, but you played with fire and others paid the price. Now in spite of that, I will take you out of here for your own protection," Mrs. Frederic said instructing her driver to leave when she saw HG coming out of the building. She had given Helena her word but that did not include allowing her alone time with Randall. She was not pleased with what she saw inside and given Helena's present state, she did not want her anywhere near her offspring.

"He's gone, Agent Wells," Artie informed her as she waited to get into the ambulance. For the first time in all the time they knew each other, Artie read her expression correctly. "Oh yes Agent Wells – we will discuss this later. But go with Myka. We will meet you there. I have to go find a ten year calendar," he said, confusing the Brit.

HG watched as they put Karen in the back of a blacked out SUV and took off. She knew exactly where they were going. She climbed into the back of the ambulance and took Myka's hand and kissed it gently.

"Are you in much pain, darling?" HG said looking at Myka's wounds. "No," Myka lied because having Helena there, safe and unharmed, was all she needed. "Helena," Myka said and reached up to the bump on HG's forehead. "We need to teach you another tactic."

The paramedic worked around HG who would not move out of the way and glided the needle into Myka's vein to set up the IV. He pushed the sedative in and Myka's eyes started to close. "Don't leave," she said to HG and Helena wept. "I won't, Myka. I promise," HG whispered back to her.

They rushed Myka into the ER to assess her wounds. When she came to, HG was still holding her hand gently. Her burns had been evaluated by the doctors and it was decided no grafting was necessary. The burns were bad, but they would heal without scaring. Every time someone came in to look at Myka, HG stood there and would not let them do anything until they told her exactly what they were doing. She even announced that they had no choice but to let her in when they did the MRI on Myka and she had to wear ear plugs because of the noise.

* * *

Pete, Claudia and Artie had all been in to see Myka. Now that she was not in any danger and in her room, they went home. HG sat in the chair next to the bed, never once putting her head down. Her look alone had scared the night staff that seemed to come in every ten minutes for vitals. Finally, Helena heard the familiar voice coming down the hallway.

"I know she won't. I know she is. Don't bother yourself now, she won't listen to you all," Gloria was telling the staff. If Gloria was ever a sight for sore eyes, it was that moment. She filled the doorway and looked at Myka. 'Oh Lord," she said as she walked in. She had a blue sling over her right shoulder now but thankfully, that was all she had. "Oh child," she said as Helena bent down and Gloria pulled her head onto her other shoulder. She hugged her tightly and patted her back. "It's okay, Helena. It's okay," the woman comforted her.

The staff had already told Gloria about Myka's injuries, and from her medical point of view, she knew Myka was very lucky. The MRI of her brain showed no damage to anything in spite of the amount of voltage she received. The neurologist did a basic assessment and in spite of the burns, Myka seemed to be able to perform all the tests, indicating there was no neurological damage. But it sapped her energy and she was sleeping now. Helena had refused any medical attention even though they said it was protocol. She told them she had enough of _bloody protocol_ and she would shoot the next person who said that word to her. That's when they called Gloria.

* * *

After being examined and patched up for the injured shoulder, Gloria had gone to the little chapel in the hospital to pray. It was all she could think to do when they went to apprehend Karen.

"Lord, I know I seem to come to you at the worst times. I know you probably think, Gloria you just keep asking me for things. And I do appreciate that but Lord; please don't let anything happen to these people. Myka is the sweetest person who ever walked the earth, Lord. Protect her from harm. It is my fault she was taken. Stupid fool that I am I trusted that woman. I shoulda known better. I didn't use the common sense you put in my head. I feel just terrible about that. So if you let me, I'll do everything I can to help her," Gloria prayed. She took a deep breath and knelt on the little padded bench and continued.

"Now this is really important Lord so I'd appreciate it if you would listen really closely on this. Please, please watch out for Helena. She needs your help, Lord. We all do I know but Helena is different. I don't understand it just yet, but I feel her fighting things – deep inside her Lord, all the time. Sometimes I just worry myself sick that those things will win – and Helena will be lost. She needs Myka, Lord. I don't think Helena could live without her. It's not just that they're friends. Myka balances Helena – she soothes her in a way none of us can. I know you know what's best for everyone but please listen to me about her. I don't think life's been kind to Helena, Lord. I don't know why but I just feel it. Take care of them all, please - but especially Helena," Gloria prayed out loud in the darkened, silent chapel. That's where they found her when the urgent call came from the nurses on Myka's floor.

* * *

Helena wiped the tears from her eyes and went back to holding Myka's hand after letting go of Gloria.

"I'm sorry I didn't stop her from hurting you," HG said without looking up. She had seen the dirty footprint still on the woman's uniform under the blue sling. "I'm not hurt, honey. I just didn't want you all getting the attention," Gloria said and made Helena smile. "Oh Helena, did you hit that woman with your head?" Gloria said when she saw the mark on HG's skull. She called for the nurse who only came into the room now that there was someone between her and Helena. "Would you please get me an ice pack?" she whispered and the nurse left. "Just because God gave you the thickest skull I have ever seen, does not mean you get to go around using it like it's a weapon," Gloria quietly scolded HG. She let the nurse look at her injury but she never took her eyes off Myka as she watched her take in each breath and let it out slowly.

* * *

The Regents had plenty to say to Mrs. Frederic and to Artie. This was a breach of security on many levels. And what about the rogue agent? Were they simply to turn their heads away from Agent Wells' actions? Mr. Kosan now had the benefit of hindsight which confirmed that HG was acting on her own all along.

"Agent Wells was never going to follow our plan, I am afraid," he shared with the group.

"Well, I can't exactly say I blame her," Artie said and there wasn't a Regent who didn't look curiously at him. "I know, I know Agent Wells did not follow protocol. And I'm not saying we should turn our heads – exactly – but protocol failed two other times. I think Agent Wells took things into her own hands because we failed her before," he said.

"I want her actions addressed, but will leave that to you Agent Nielsen if you feel you can find an appropriate consequence. Otherwise, we will handle it from here," Mr. Kosan warned.

"The calendar is already on its way," Artie said and no one understood him.

"I want a formal reprimand to go into her file," Mr. Kosan added and Artie said he understood. He had this image of a file that could not be closed because of all the 'formal' reprimands issued on her behalf.

"Mrs. Frederic, we have a particularly delicate issue here because the accomplice is your son," Mr. Kosan noted. "Do you have anything to say before we issue our statements?"

Mrs. Frederic knew this moment was coming and she had thought of nothing else since she got in the car.

"Mr. Kosan, Regents, Agent Nielsen, I ask that you take into consideration that Randall was trying to rectify a problem he has been dealing with for a long time. In every sense of the word, I am the root cause of that problem. So if you issue him a consequence for being that woman's accomplice, I ask that I share in his punishment because I am the accomplice to his problems," the Sage spoke softly and sincerely.

"So it will be," Mr. Kosan replied and Artie's head turned in his direction. '_Really?_' was written all over his face. "If I may," Artie tried. "You may not," Mr. Kosan answered curtly.

"Mrs. Frederic, we will take Mr. Grayson into our custody. You will return home and wait for us there," was the last thing the Regent said before each of the them rose and left.

"Mrs. Frederic, we'll talk to them. We'll get them to do something else," Artie tried but his boss would not hear of it. "They will be fair," she said to him as she took her leave. _How could she have so much trust in them while Helena had none? _

* * *

"Well I can take care of everyone at once," Vanessa Calder said as she walked into Myka's room that morning not at all surprised to find Helena beside her and Gloria asleep in the chair.

"Do not wake her," HG said in a definite but not threatening tone. Vanessa smiled to think how protective HG was of the older woman.

Dr. Calder looked at Myka's wounds and was pleased that they were responding to the medicated ointment already. "You have no fever, no injuries that would prevent you from going home this morning," the doctor said and Helena rolled her eyes because she already knew that. Helena was very hard of Dr. Calder perhaps because most of the time, she appeared to be Gloria's boss and that simply did not sit well with Helena.

The doctor's voice woke the nurse who pushed herself out of the recliner. "And how are you feeling?" Dr. Calder asked Gloria who assured her she was fit for duty. "Oh I don't think so," Dr. Calder said thinking she was giving then nurse an easy out to take a few days off.

"Dr. Calder, Myka will need someone to look after her," Gloria pointed out.

"I can check in on her," the doctor tried but Helena would not stand for it.

"If Gloria feels she can take care of Myka, then I think we should allow it," HG said and felt gracious for saying '_we_' as if anyone else had a say.

"Only if you feel up to it," Myka said afraid the woman would overdo it. Truth be told, Myka wanted Gloria there for Helena, not for herself. In her heart, Myka knew this was not over for Helena. Arousing that dark side of her soul would take its toll – maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow – but somewhere down the line it would.

"Of course I do," Gloria said. "Helena here can be my right hand."

"I would very much like that," HG said in a rare, calm moment.

* * *

Mrs. Frederic waited for the van to pull up to her house. The agents opened the back door, unloaded the heavy crate onto the dolly to bring it in. They pushed it into the elevator and Mrs. Frederic pushed the last button in the row. They descended down the five levels until the cage shook when it stopped. The doors opened and the men pushed the crate out and followed the Sage. She walked the length of the hallway and pressed the code that only she - and one other person knew - into the lock on the door. It opened to a small room where they placed the crate and began unpacking its contents. The agents pulled the sides away and lifted the bronzed statue off of the bottom piece. They placed it in the middle of the room and took the wooden pieces away.

Mrs. Frederic waited until the men had cleared out of the room. She looked at the form that was once Karen Carson now encased in bronze. As promised, she turned and secured the picture on the door before she left. As the metal door slammed shut, the only light in the room shone on the picture that the statue now faced. Karen Carson would have eternity to be reminded that she could never have what she wanted most. There on the door was a picture of Myka and Helena embracing and smiling that HG sent from her phone to the Sage. It was part of the deal Helena made in exchange for not killing Karen.

* * *

Pete and Claudia got up the next morning early to make sure everything was set up for Myka's return. Artie was there as well. "How did it go last night?" Pete asked Artie as they sat at the dining room table with Leena and Claudia. "Well, better than I expected for HG. Not so sure about Mrs. Frederic," he reported. "How can they do anything to her, those idiots," Claudia yelled out in a moment of allegiance and then quickly looked around in case any one of them should appear. "Actually, she asked them to include her," Artie said with a mix of regret and admiration.

"The whole thing sucks," Pete said and grabbed the arms of the chair he sat in, usually reserved for Helena.

"_Jesus, Mary and Joseph_," cried Artie as a surge of electricity shot through his seat. He jumped up and knocked his chair over to see the wires connected to the bottom of his designated chair. Pete, still in shock, picked up his to see the button his hand had grabbed that triggered the electrical charge from HG's left over behavior modification experiment.

"Geez, gramps I thought you got shot!" Claudia said.

"I thought he converted," Pete let out.

"I asked you to get her a place in the Warehouse where it would be safe for her experiments. But no, no one listens to the aura reader," Leena complained now that two of her dining room chairs were toppled over.

"Give me that calendar," Artie shouted. "She is on inventory duty until 2023 now," he said opening the calendar book. He rubbed his derriere as he wrote Helena's name on every page that he could.

* * *

**Thank you to everyone for the specific feedback! You guys are terrific. Thank you esp to Ariel Hedgehog who reminded me that HG would never leave Myka's side when I was tempted to have her go after Randall. Thanks to Xenite who always asks such thought provoking questions. And to everyone who is gracious enough to put their thoughts and questions out there - it helps me think this all through. Thanks, Polar, for, catching, all, my, comma, errors. What a job you have. lol**


	12. When the Dust Settles

**Chapter 12 When the Dust Settles**

"**I have had dreams and I have had nightmares, but I have conquered my nightmares because of my dreams." Jonas Salk **

* * *

Myka attributed Helena barking orders when they were leaving the hospital to the fact that she was completely stressed and had not slept. She had nothing but stern looks for Dr. Calder who aided in getting Myka released early. Myka just smiled at everyone and thanked them in hopes of softening the Brit's impatient demeanor. Most people just got out of her way.

"Are you ok, sweetie?" Myka asked HG. "Of course," she answered unconvincingly.

Pete came and transported Myka, HG and Gloria all back to the B&B. The last thing Myka wanted was anyone making a fuss but she did appreciate the balloons and cards that Leena and Claudia had made for her. Myka didn't feel like making the trip up to her bedroom just yet so she chose to sit in the living room. This too, seemed to annoy Helena but she didn't say a word. "Maybe you should go lie down," Myka suggested but HG refused. Even Leena's cup of tea, brewed to perfection, did not seem to settle her. HG got a blanket from the closet and put it over Myka and she closed her eyes. Everyone dispersed to different parts of the house to give her peace and quiet, except Helena who sat close by. "You're going to need your rest, too Helena," Gloria reminded her and Helena leaned back and fought to keep her eyes opened, but had to give in. Sleep enveloped her within minutes. Gloria managed with her good arm to get another blanket out and placed it over HG.

An hour later, Leena was serving lunch to the others but the women were still asleep. The agents were the quietest they'd ever been because they didn't want to wake Myka up. Suddenly, they heard Helena yelling. She was having a nightmare. In spite of her age and size, Gloria was the first one to get to HG.

"It's okay, Helena," she said with her hand on HG's head but something had awoken in her and it wasn't pretty. For a minute, Gloria didn't think the Brit knew where she was. She looked confused and uncertain. Myka was awake now and she called to HG. She reached out and took Myka's hand to assure her but then she was out of the chair, and took the stairs to her bedroom two at a time. Gloria helped Myka up and they went to the bottom of the stairs and stopped. They could hear Helena screaming – and it sounded as if she were tearing her room apart. In fact, she was – in an effort to remove the thought that that woman had been in there, touching her things. Myka tried to go up the first step but it proved to be more challenging than she thought.

"Maybe we should let her?" Gloria said looking up at the closed door. "She's in pain, Gloria," Myka said through tears. "I know, honey, I know," the nurse replied. Myka started up the stairs slowly with Gloria guiding her.

HG was exhausted, emotionally and physically, and when she fell asleep in the chair, it pulled her down deep. She dreamt she was back at the office where Karen had Myka prisoner but this time, Helena was too late and Myka was dead. It didn't just scare her the way nightmares do – it pulled her to her darkest place. The door to it had been opened when she stared down at that woman and held the electrified cable in her hand. '_I can end this right here_,' she said to herself while it was happening. Killing someone that hurt Myka would not be hard. The hard part was not doing it and that was when she reached out to Mrs. Frederic.

The nightmare reminded her what Karen said about being in her room. It sent HG over the edge and she raced up there to pull her clothes out of the closet and drawers in case she had touched something. It didn't take Helena long to pull everything out and onto the floor. The only thing she didn't notice was the missing box of canisters from her first experiment.

* * *

Gloria had helped Myka up the stairs as best she could and now they stood outside HG's door. "I'll go in," Myka said and Gloria nodded and opened the door for her. There stood Helena, in the middle of the mess she had just created. Myka stepped in over the strewn clothes and closed the door. HG was just standing there bent over at the waist, breathing hard, exasperated by her actions.

"What bloody good am I if I can _never_ protect the people I love?" Helena shouted as she stood up.

Myka knew this was about more than just what had happened. The painful realization that she could not save the ones she loved the most from harm ran deep for Helena. Myka went over and sat on the bed and pulled Helena down as best she could. HG buried her head in Myka's lap and sobbed. Myka kept her bandaged arm across HG's back as she held her head close to her and let her cry.

"Helena," Myka said softly when the sobs lessened. "You did protect me, Helena. You came into that room with that woman unarmed and talked her into letting me go. She could have kept me there or hurt me more, but you convinced her to release me. _You_ saved me, Helena," Myka said softly and HG's tears renewed at the thought of what could have happened. "Please do not beat yourself up, Helena. I could not take it if you were unkind to yourself," Myka said softly as she stroked Helena's hair off her face. If Helena weren't so afraid of having that nightmare again, she could have just collapsed there from exhaustion on Myka's lap. This issue for Helena was deep-rooted, the answer not simple, but having Myka hold her was as close to calm as Helena could get right now.

Helena leaned into Myka and then remembered her wounds. "Bloody hell," she said jumping up from the bed. "That blasted nurse will fire me if she sees how poorly I am taking care of you."

Right on cue, Gloria knocked and opened the door. "It's time to change those dressings," she said as her eyes surveyed the mess. "Do you always keep your room this tidy," Gloria asked and brought smiles to the room.

They moved into Myka's room where she sat cooperating as Gloria instructed Helena how to change the bandages and HG insisted she already knew how to do it.

"Just apply a little of the ointment," Gloria said without sounding overbearing.

"I do know how to apply salve. I'm not a complete idiot," HG took offense because she didn't know how to take instructions well.

"And they say nursing is a calling," Gloria teased and HG scowled at her. It was the best entertainment Myka thought. Myka was hungry and wanted to go downstairs. HG practically carried her down because she didn't want anything to worsen the pain.

* * *

After lunch, the patient settled back onto the couch with her blanket. Helena insisted Gloria sit right next to Myka while she took a shower. She couldn't bear to be in her room, so she showered and dressed in Myka's room – in Myka's clothes. Back downstairs, HG busied herself with trying to nurse the nurse, annoyed that the RN was being so obstinate.

"If you leave it in the sling without moving it, it will get stiff. Now just take it out and we'll do some exercises," HG was instructing the woman. "Helena, I know how to do the exercises and I promise I will do them ….," Gloria attempted but Helena waived the papers the doctor had given with the directions.

"Lord girl, you are bossy," Gloria said smiling.

"Bossy? You think me bossy? You have some nerve woman, after the way you have pushed your instructions on me time and time again. Ha! Now that the shoe is on the other foot, we hear a very different tune, isn't that right, Myka?" HG said but Myka was sleeping again.

* * *

Mrs. Frederic completed the necessary paperwork and there sure was a great deal of it whenever there was an incident with her agents. She had checked with Leena to see how they were all doing and said she would be over to visit shortly. She dressed and her driver took her to the B&B. In the car, she picked up her cell phone and dialed a number. After greeting the other caller, she confirmed she would be there for dinner by 6 PM.

As usual, Pete walked into the front hallway to find Mrs. Frederic just standing there and was startled. "Hey, Mrs. F – how are you doing?" he said in an attempt to be sympathetic.

"I am fine, Mr. Lattimer and you?" she responded almost quizzically.

"Good, good. Yeah, listen I hope the Regents, you know weren't …eh… tough or anything cause sometimes they can be real…... you know," Pete said as he scrunched up his face in disgust.

"The Regents were fair, Mr. Lattimer, as they always are," the Sage said attempting to end the conversation.

"OK, yeah good," Pete said unsure of where to go with all of this. Normal conversations were not something you had with the Keeper.

Mrs. Frederic went into see Myka who was sitting up and feeling much better after her second long nap. Helena walked in from her continued harassing of the nurse who was refusing to be nursed.

"Bloody hell, I have never met a more stubborn woman in my life!" Helena exclaimed to no one as she walked in on her boss.

"Talking _about_ yourself, Agent Wells?" Mrs. Frederic asked and smiled at Myka. It was a rare event when the Sage made a joke and it was totally lost on Helena who replied, "No, of course not."

"I'm pleased to see you are feeling better, Agent Bering. No doubt you are in very capable hands," Mrs. Frederic said and Helena was about to take the compliment when the Sage asked where Nurse Brown was? Helena did not appreciate the inference.

"She can barely take care of herself, Mrs. Frederic. I don't see how you expect her to care for Myka," HG protested defensively.

"I'm sure she'll manage," Mrs. Frederic said and gave a knowing look to the nurse who walked into the room.

"Now Agent Wells, I have spoken with the Regents about your complete disregard for their instructions…," Mrs. Frederic began but HG cut her off.

"You know bloody well why I disregarded …," HG said unable to hold back. Myka prayed the Sage would take into account how exhausted Helena was.

Gloria watched as Myka responded nervously and yet, Helena stood her ground defiantly. '_Lord that woman knows how invite trouble in',_ Gloria thought.

"She most certainly does," Mrs. Frederic said directly to the nurse who received her first lesson in the Keeper's way.

"Agent Wells, I have a complete understanding of what and why you did what you did. More than you know, perhaps. But the Regents are not in the habit of celebrating rogue agents nor do they wish to _reinforce_ disobedience. You do know _behavior rewarded gets repeated_, do you not Agent Wells?" her boss asked giving her back her own words. Myka remembered those words verbatim although in a very different context. She stifled a smile at the coincidence.

"Oh, you could just wire her chair like she did Artie's," Pete called out as if the woman had asked for suggestions. Mrs. Frederic made him nervous and he had a tendency to blunder away.

"You didn't?" Myka asked and Mrs. Frederic waited as well for HG's response.

"That's rather not the point at the moment, I believe," HG said remembering only then that she had not disconnected the wires.

"Well, fortunately …..," and then the Sage thought about it and clarified, "…..or unfortunately, Agent Wells, the Regents have decided to leave your consequence in the hands of Agent Nielsen."

Truth be told, Helena was actually relieved to hear that and so was Myka. "After all of this, I look forward to doing a little inventory," HG said predicting what Artie would have her do. "Even if it's for ten years."

"Yeah HG, it was ten years but then he got shot in the … in the …rear….. from your experiment," Pete was updating them, "…..and he added another one."

"Eleven years of inventory work? I believe you have just set a new world record, Agent Wells," Mrs. Frederic said as she took her leave.

* * *

Helena walked out hurriedly after her boss. "Everything taken care of?" Helena asked the Sage.

Ordinarily, Mrs. Frederic did not entertain someone questioning her. But there was nothing ordinary about the incidences that occurred that week. "Yes, Agent Wells. The vault in my house is secure with the package," was how she put it. "And….," Helena was about to ask about Randall but Mrs. Frederic had already allowed her too much. "And everything else has been handled appropriately. Good evening, Agent Wells."

Helena was not satisfied with that response but she wasn't sure that there was one she wanted. She empathized with how difficult this must be for her boss because it was her son that initiated all of this. Helena fought to keep that in perspective and to trust that he had been dealt with by the Regents.

It did not mean Helena was done with him.

* * *

Mrs. Frederic entered the restaurant that she had been in last night. There at the table sat Randall who was in South Dakota for a book signing. The young man was glad he was feeling well enough to make the dinner. He had woken up a few hours ago in a hotel room with little memory of the past week. His heard hurt so much he thought he had fallen but there were no signs of an injury. He checked his messages and he had none. The last thing he remembered was coming to South Dakota for the book signing. He was disappointed that his mother had not made it but she promised to make it up to him. Things seemed a little better between them he thought and that was a good feeling. He had been afraid to discuss all of this with her, but he felt ready to face those fears now.

Randall had been taken from Mrs. Frederic's car last night without a struggle. The driver simply opened one of the canisters from Agent Wells' room and Randy fell into a deep hibernation like sleep for twenty minutes. Long enough to get him to the secret location and ready for the treatment. Mr. Kosan chose the original recording device patented in 1934 by Semi Joseph Begun as the artifact that would help with this situation. It was one of the first magnetic recording devices used to record the human voice. So powerful an artifact was it that one simply had to record what you wanted someone to believe and upon listening, the subject absorbed what he heard as gospel truth. You could also erase parts of the person's story which is what they did after Randall reported everything he could recall about the last week. It was obvious he was filled with remorse for his actions and never realized how dangerous the woman was that he had released.

When told that his mother wished to share in his punishment, he protested that she was innocent. The Regents took this all into account before erasing and replacing the events of Randall's recent life. The erasing of memories was difficult and Randall would have headaches until the new memories took hold in his mind. Mr. Kosan was instrumental in what events were erased or tweaked. Karen Carson was erased from his memory but the memories of abandonment were altered. They played the audio recording of his book through the artifact and Randall emerged a more stable man.

"Just because they write it, does not mean they live it," Mr. Kosan said to the Regents referring to self-help book authors.

Now Randall sat across from his mother, ready and willing to talk about the things he felt. Mrs. Frederic was grateful to the Regents for the second chance they gave Randall, as well his mother.

* * *

**Think an Epilogue and we'll be done ... so if there's questions left unanswered ... like will HG go after Randall ... ask away**  
**and I'll try to tie up all the loose ends in the last chapter. As always, I appreciate your thoughts/comments/questions as**  
**I know they take time. Thank you to everyone who read along ... last chapter out soon.**


	13. Epilogue

Just a short chapter to tie up a few last things. I hope you will indulge me the _change of heart _part -as  
someone pointed out and I agreed ...maybe HG would not want any part of her with her nemesis. Good point  
so I tried to rectify it.

* * *

**Chapter 13 Epilogue**

"**All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better." ****Ralph Waldo Emerson **

* * *

The doctor had confided in Helena that he was concerned and thought Gloria needed to exercise more. "See if you can get her walking a little to start," he suggested to the person who could get Gloria to do just about anything.

"We're going for a walk, now," is how HG convinced her on Sunday afternoon after Myka was all settled in to watch a movie with Pete and Claudia.

"Sure you ladies don't want to stay and watch?" Pete said to them.

"_War of the Worlds_, HG?" Claudia said smiling away.

"Is that the one with Tom Cruise?" Gloria asked and was told yes. "I'm not really one for _those science fiction_ movies but I wouldn't mind watching Tom," the nurse said. Helena had her under her good arm before she sat down.

"Not one for science fiction? Well, then perhaps you are one for sheer brilliant authors whose scientific inventions were so well thought out and years before their time that their stories are still being reproduced a century later?" HG asked.

"I know there's a question in there, Helena. I'm just never sure with you what it is," Gloria said as she conceded to the walk with Helena.

Myka shook her head and smiled as the duo left the house. She looked at the time on the clock making note in case Gloria wasn't back in an hour.

* * *

"You know the paramedics asked us what medications you might be on and none of us knew. You really don't share enough information with us," HG said as she took Gloria's good arm in hers.

"Well, I'm on none. And you know the same could be said for you, Agent Wells," Gloria countered. "You first."

"Absolutely not! Surely there are files on all of use somewhere that you have read?" HG said assuming the nurse had been briefed on all of them.

"Of course and I've read them all, except yours," the nurse answered truthfully. "I wanted you to tell me when you were ready. I'll tell you what. We'll play twenty questions," Gloria said remembering a game she played with her sons when they were younger.

"OK," HG said. "What is your favorite HG Wells book?"

"Did he write that one about the submarine?" Gloria asked trying to think back to her son's collection of science fiction books.

"Madam, you slay me. No, he did not write that rubbish. HG Wells wrote marvelous tales like - _The Time Machine_," HG said. "Had a bit of an unhealthy obsession with it," HG said to herself.

"Oh yes, now I remember. He _was_ my son's favorite," Gloria said walking slowly with the Brit.

"_Was_?" Helena asked catching the tense.

"Once he discovered girls, the science fiction went on the back burner," Gloria said.

"Well, we shall have to rectify that now, won't we?" HG said more to herself. "I would like to meet your sons," HG said walking at the woman's slow pace.

"I would like that very much," Gloria said and meant it with all her heart.

"But I didn't ask you about your sons, yet. I want to know about you."

"What's to know, Helena? Born and raised in Virginia to poor but good folk who raised me to believe I could do anything I wanted. I married my high school sweetheart who was the love of my life up until the day he died of heart failure too young. He was a good, decent man and we have two wonderful boys who are a lot like him. I'm lucky I get to do a job I love and I've been doing it for more years than you've been on this earth," Gloria said.

"_Don't be so sure about that_," HG said as an aside and Gloria didn't catch it.

"I knew you were trouble the minute I met you," the older woman said leaning on Helena now to walk. "Barking orders and pushing everyone around. The staff was afraid to come near you," Gloria said reflecting back to the first time they met.

"Well, if I am so insufferable, why did you follow me back here to South Dakota?" Helena asked insulted at the woman's honesty.

"Oh, I came to help Agent Bering deal with you," Gloria laughed.

"Well as usual, you did not follow directions with a simple thing like 'twenty questions', " HG feigned annoyance.

"Well then, my first question is - I would like to know what you did before you came to the Warehouse. Start from the beginning, Helena," Gloria said thinking she would start with the basics. "And I'm your nurse, so I want the truth. No sense hiding it from the woman who has seen you naked."

Helena walked Gloria over to the bench in the tea garden. "I think you might want to sit down for this, Gloria," HG said thinking the time had come.

* * *

Mrs. Frederic woke up very early the next morning and sensed her presence. She knew there was a strong possibility she would be there eventually but didn't realize it would be that soon. '_A change of heart_,' she said out loud. She had agreed to give Helena the code but she had not agreed to have her private residence invaded by the rogue agent. The Sage knew why HG came back – to retrieve the picture from the wall. Mrs. Frederic knew HG would change her mind about leaving any part of herself with that woman. '_I'll review trespassing with her another time_,' she thought.

* * *

Two weeks later…

Helena slept in Myka's arms peacefully. Now that the burns had healed so well, she only had light coverings over them. The Caribbean breeze blew sweetly though the opened windows, fanning the white curtains. Myka looked down at HG and kissed her lightly. She was finally sleeping through the night. She was still amazed that Mrs. Frederic had given them the tickets to go on an official vacation to this place.

It was going to be another blissful day of relaxing for the agents. They ate breakfast in bed, walked along the beach and now looked at all the shops along the town streets. Myka wanted to look in the dress shop but a bookstore caught HG's attention. "I'll meet you back here in a few minutes," the Brit said. She walked down to the largest store on the block, a chain store that was a common sight back home. There in the window was the placard that read: _Randall Grayson will sign copies of his book_ … HG walked inside and saw the rows of people listening attentively to the man who would tell them how to overcome the things they feared most in life. This was Randall's umpteenth time conducting this talk, so he was confident and engaging. Not so engaged that he didn't notice the beautiful raven haired woman standing in the back. In fact, he couldn't take his eyes off her. She was smiling, almost devilishly, he thought. He was whisked away after the end of his speech but was happy to see the gorgeous woman in line waiting for him to sign her book.

"Well this must be my _lucky_ day," Randall said as HG handed him the book. "And to whom should I make this out," he asked flirting back, determined the next question would be to ask her to dinner. HG smiled and bent down, running her finger over the page playfully. "You can make it out to Helena Wells, Mr. Grayson. And now that I've found you, this just became your _unluckiest_ day," she said and pulled back and the look in her eyes changed. "No! No!" he yelled, stumbling as he got up from the table.

"Helena? Helena?" Myka whispered as she gently shook her arm. The Caribbean sun was shining brightly at the start of another glorious day. "You were moaning in your sleep," Myka said, unsure if it was a good or bad dream. "Are you having the same dream again?" Myka asked because she worried she was having nightmares.

"No, I'm fine darling. Just dreaming of paying back a debt," Helena smiled and Myka looked down at her friend.

"Helena?" Myka said in a warning tone but was pulled down into the sheets into complete distraction. "I read about a new technique, Myka and I want very much to try it out," HG said devilishly.

"Oh now you're going to experiment on me?" Myka said feigning resistance.

"Until you scream, darling," HG said in her ear.

* * *

As always, I appreciate your comments and thank you for reading along with this one.  
Not what I initially intended but hope it worked.


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